Although cancer survivors who eat better, exercise regularly and avoid tobacco often have a higher quality of life than those that don't, many cancer survivors don't follow through with these recommendations.

"We all know that living a healthy lifestyle, eating well, being physically active and not smoking reduces the risk of physical problems and improves overall physical health," said Kevin Stein, director of Quality of Life Research at the American Cancer Society's Behavioral Research Center. The senior author of a study detailing the findings, published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology goes on to say, "Here we have additional evidence that it not only reduces disease burden but also improves emotional health and quality of life and, moreover, the effect appears to be cumulative. The more you comply, the better your quality of life."

Unfortunately, the message does not seem to be sticking.

Of the over 9,000 participants, less than 20% of the survivors were getting the recommended five-a-day fruits and vegetables and only 30% to 50% were meeting the physical activity recommendation.

In all, only 5% of the participants were meeting all of the lifestyle recommendations, while up to 12.5% weren't complying with any of the recommendations.