BACKGROUND: Reduction of
cancer risk by either preventing
carcinogenesis or stopping
carcinogenesis in its early stages is a logical approach for reducing the
cancer burden, both for high-risk individuals and for the general population. The areas of
dietary modification and
chemoprevention show considerable promise as effective approaches for
cancer prevention and are a focus of research efforts. RESULTS: Diet and
cancer studies show that, generally, vegetables and fruits,
dietary fiber, and certain nutrients seem to be protective against
cancer, whereas fat, excessive calories, and alcohol seem to increase
cancer risk.
Chemoprevention research is closely linked to diet and
cancer research and represents a logical research progression. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary epidemiologic studies have helped to identify many naturally occurring chemopreventive agents. Currently, randomized clinical prevention trials sponsored by the NCI include dietary interventions (eg, low-fat and/or high-fiber vegetables and fruits) targeting breast and
colorectal cancer,
chemoprevention trials using
micronutrients (eg,
vitamin E,
calcium,
vitamin D) aimed at lung and
colorectal cancer, and
chemoprevention trials testing the effectiveness of
pharmaceutical agents (eg,
tamoxifen,
finasteride,
aspirin) for breast, prostate, and
colorectal cancer.