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Strategies for cancer prevention: the role of diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. A. Milner
J. A. Milner*
Affiliation:
Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University and Nutritional Science Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Boulevard Suite 703, Rockville, MD 20892, USA
*
Corresponding author: Dr J. A. Milner, tel +1 301 496 0118, fax +1 301 480 3925, email milnerj@mail.nih.gov
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Abstract

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Linkages between diet habits and cancer risk have surfaced from a multitude of epidemiological and preclinical studies. Collectively these studies provide rather compelling evidence that dietary components modify the incidence and biological behavior of tumors. While the risk of breast, prostate, colon, lung and liver cancers are frequently associated with dietary patterns, inconsistencies are not uncommon. These inconsistencies likely reflect the multi-factorial and complex nature of cancer and the specificity that individual dietary constituents have in modifying cancer related genetic pathways. The complexity of defining the role of diet is underscored by the numerous and diverse essential and non-essential components that may alter one or more phases of the cancer process. The explosive increase in the recognition of genes and pathways for regulating cell growth and development, and evaluating the response to hormones and other chemicals synthesized by the body, offers exciting opportunities for unraveling the molecular targets by which dietary components influence cancer prevention. It is recognized that all cells have unique ‘signatures’ that are characterized by active and inactive genes and cellular products. It is certainly plausible that bridging knowledge about these unique cellular characteristics with the molecular targets for nutrients can be used to assist in optimizing nutrition and minimizing cancer risk.

Keywords

DietCancerPolymorphismGenesPhytochemicals
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 87 , Issue S2 , May 2002 , pp. S265 - S272
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2002

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