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Diet and cancer. A review
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Acta Oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Diet significantly influences cancer risk, with high fat intake linked to breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers. Obesity is a key factor in endometrial and postmenopausal breast cancer, while vegetables and possibly beta-carotene show protective effects.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Dietary factors are recognized as major contributors to cancer development.
- Epidemiologic data, including analytic, ecologic, and animal studies, support the link between diet and cancer.
- Specific dietary components and obesity have been implicated in various cancer types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiologic evidence linking diet and cancer.
- To identify specific dietary patterns and components associated with cancer risk.
- To inform recommendations for dietary modifications for cancer prevention.
Main Methods:
- Review of analytic epidemiologic studies.
- Inclusion of descriptive (ecologic) epidemiology.
- Consideration of experimental animal studies.
Main Results:
- High dietary fat intake is associated with increased risk of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
- Obesity is a significant risk factor for endometrial cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer.
- Evidence suggests vegetable consumption is protective against colorectal cancer, and beta-carotene may protect against lung cancer.
Conclusions:
- Dietary modifications are appropriate for cancer prevention, aligning with strategies for other chronic diseases.
- Specific dietary recommendations should focus on reducing fat intake and increasing vegetable consumption.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of specific nutrients like beta-carotene and the complex relationship between obesity and breast cancer risk.