Associations between degree of food processing, inflammatory biomarkers and colorectal cancer survival: a prospective cohort study

-interaction < 0.05). Replacing UPFs with NOVA 1 improved OS (HR: 0.992, 95% CI 0.984, 0.999) and CSS (HR: 0.990, 95% CI 0.982, 0.998), with similar associations for NOVA 3. Inflammation mediated 5.58-9.40% of these associations. Collectively, higher NOVA 1 consumption was associated with improved OS and CSS among CRC patients, partly through reduced systemic inflammation. Substituting UPFs or NOVA 3 with NOVA 1 may confer additional survival benefits.