The consensus on
diet and cancer is that obesity increases the risk of developing
cancer. Particular dietary practices often explain differences
in cancer incidence in different countries (e.g. gastric cancer
is more common in Japan, while colon cancer is more common in
the United States). Studies have shown that immigrants develop
the risk of their new country, often within one generation,
suggesting a substantial link between diet and cancer. Whether
reducing obesity in a population also reduces cancer incidence
is unknown.
Despite frequent reports of particular substances (including
foods) having a beneficial or detrimental effect on cancer risk,
few of these have an established link to cancer. These reports
are often based on studies in cultured cell media or animals.
Public health recommendations cannot be made on the basis of
these studies until they have been validated in an observational
(or occasionally a prospective interventional) trial in humans.
Proposed dietary interventions for primary cancer risk reduction
generally gain support from epidemiological association studies.
Examples of such studies include reports that reduced meat
consumption is associated with decreased risk of colon cancer,
and reports that consumption of coffee is associated with a
reduced risk of liver cancer. Studies have linked consumption of
grilled meat to an increased risk of stomach cancer, colon
cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer, a phenomenon which
could be due to the presence of carcinogens such as benzopyrene
in foods cooked at high temperatures.
A 2005 secondary prevention study showed that consumption of a
plant-based diet and lifestyle changes resulted in a reduction
in cancer markers in a group of men with prostate cancer who
were using no conventional treatments at the time. These results
were amplified by a 2006 study in which over 2,400 women were
studied, half randomly assigned to a normal diet, the other half
assigned to a diet containing less than 20% calories from fat.
The women on the low fat diet were found to have a markedly
lower risk of breast cancer recurrence, in the interim report of
December, 2006.
Prevention Vitamins >>
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Cancer
Classification
1. Nomenclature
2. Adult cancers
3. Childhood cancers
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
1. Investigation
2. Biopsy
Treatment
1. Surgery
2. Radiation therapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Targeted therapies
5. Immunotherapy
6. Hormonal therapy
7. Symptom control
8. Complementary and alternative
9. Treatment trials
Prognosis
1. Emotional impact
Causes
1. Chemical carcinogens
2. Ionizing radiation &
Infectious diseases
3. Hormonal imbalances
& Immune system dysfunction
4. Heredity & Other causes
Pathophysiology
1. Epigenetics
2. Oncogenes
3. Tumor suppressor genes
4. Cancer cell biology
4.1 Clonal evolution
4.2 Biological properties of cancer cells
Prevention
1. Modifiable ("lifestyle") risk factors
2. Diet
3. Vitamins
4. Chemoprevention
5. Genetic testing
6. Vaccination
7. Screening
Epidemiology
History
Research |
