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Diet and cancer: future etiologic research
A Schatzkin1, J Dorgan, C Swanson
1Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. schatzka@dcpcepn.nci.nih.gov
Environmental Health Perspectives
|November 1, 1995
Summary
This study explores diet-cancer links, examining specific nutrients versus whole foods. It reviews research methods like clinical studies, animal models, and human epidemiology to advance understanding of diet
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Numerous diet-cancer hypotheses exist, necessitating structured research approaches.
- Dietary exposure can be defined through decompositional (nutrients) or integrative (whole foods) methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose strategies for advancing the understanding of diet-cancer relationships.
- To organize diet-cancer hypotheses within a conceptual framework of dietary exposure.
Main Methods:
- Review of four scientific investigation types: metabolic (clinical nutrition) studies, animal studies, observational epidemiologic investigations, and clinical trials.
- Evaluation of the strengths and limitations of each research design.
Main Results:
- Observational epidemiologic studies and clinical trials offer direct examination of cancer end points in humans.
- Metabolic and animal research findings can complement human study results.
Conclusions:
- Integration of findings from diverse research methodologies is crucial for advancing diet-cancer research.
- Specific strategies for evaluating hypotheses related to large bowel, lung, breast, and prostate cancers are discussed.