Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Prevention: Where Are We Going from Here?1 Vay Liang W. Go2, Debra A. Wong and Ritva Butrum* UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, Los Angeles, CA and * American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, DC. 2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: vlwgo@ucla.edu. Since the national declaration of the war on cancer three decades ago, research on carcinogenesis has yielded a tremendous knowledge base on cancer. Cancer cells are the result of multiple genetic defects resulting from exposure to environmental, dietary and infectious agents. Multistep and multistage carcinogenesis may span 20 y or more, a time that provides research and clinical opportunities to suppress this disease in its early and premalignant stages before clinical symptomatic, invasive stages. Where do we go from here? After this year’s milestone of gene sequencing accomplishments, further research opportunities arise in pursuing studies on the mechanisms of the acquired capacities of cancer cells, including their limitless replicative potential, sustained angiogenesis and invasion and avoidance of apoptosis. With new DNA chip technology and functional proteomics, complex nutrient-gene interactions may now be investigated. Research on nutrient-gene interactions not only provides pathophysiologic mechanisms of cancer causation and prevention, but also improves the ability to conduct cancer surveillance, crucial in identifying at-risk populations. By combining chemoprevention approaches, from the use of single nutrients to multiple dietary constituents and functional foods, the scope of future cancer prevention strategies will be broadened. Research on eating behavior and changing dietary patterns must be included in any cancer prevention strategy. A new paradigm for diet, nutrition and cancer prevention can be developed using multidisciplinary approaches that include lifestyle and environmental changes, dietary modifications and physical activity consciousness to reduce the burden of cancer not only for high risk individuals but for the general population as well. (Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:3121S-3126S.) Supplement posted 2001 J Nutr, 2/02 Br J Nutrition, 5/02 Potential SYNERGY of Phytochemicals as Cancer Prevention J Clin Oncol, 2/02 Australia/Finland:Dietary Changes Dietary Counseling Beneficial for Pt w/Cancer BMJ, 3/02 Peter Greenwald, Dir. NCI Div Cancer Prevention Methods and Identification of Chemopreventive Agents Evidence from Systematic Evaluation & Cancer Treatment Preclinical Testing of Suitable Agents Clinical Chemoprevention Trials Biomarkers as Surrogate Chemoprevention and Medical Practice Additional Educational Resources References Dr. Peter Greenwald: Promising Substances Chemoprevention Int J Cancer, 5/02 Vegetarian Diet Approved by ADA Fruit/Vegetables: Benefit the Body Efficiently (Vitamin Okay) Raw & Cooked Veg/Fruits/Micronutrients & BCa Risk Carcinogenesis, 7/02 Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 9/98 Study from Norway Animal Fat & Breast Cancer Link Food Serving Size Equivalents Fruit/Vegetable Consumption/Weight Mgment Olive Oil Needed on Salad to Help Absorb Carotenes Raw vs Cooked Vegetables & Cancer Risk: REVIEW Fruits/Veg & Cancer Prevention: Review from 1992 EAT THEM J Carcinogenesis, 4/03 Diet LINKED to Cancer Risks Dietary Variety is BEST J Nutr, 12/04 J Surgeon, 6/05 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.