Diet, nutrition, and cancer: development of hypotheses and their evaluation in animal studies

Research in diet, nutrition, and cancer is multidisciplinary. As a result there are many factors to consider in the conceptualization and design of experiments that may not be readily apparent to someone entering this field. In this article issues are identified that should be considered in the development of hypotheses about the effects of diet and nutrition on the carcinogenic process and the evaluation of these hypotheses using animal models. The questions considered are: what comprises an acceptable rationale for diet, nutrition, and cancer experiments in which animal models are used; what factors should be considered in the design of these experiments; and what constitutes a mechanistic component in such animal studies.