Dietary and Nutritional Influences on Cancer: A Review of Epidemiologic and Experimental Data

Investigation of dietary and nutritional influences on induction and development of cancer has produced a vast amount of data. This information has furthered understanding of basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis and explained certain aspects of cancer epidemiology. As is true in many areas, some relationships that were initially recognized and appeared simple have proved to be complex and to require major modification or qualification. Because the literature on diet and cancer is extensive we have limited our review of epidemiologic results to the more intensively studied nutrients and foods and to the cancers that occur most frequently in Western societies. The nutrients and foods examined in relation to cancer risk are: total calories, fat, cholesterol, fiber, alcohol, carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, coffee, cruciferous vegetables, and protein. The sites considered are lung, breast, large bowel, prostate, ovary and pancreas. The experimental results discussed include many of the same subjects with the addition of nutrients and target organs that form a significant segment of the experimental literature.