Food and nutrition in cancer prevention and treatment

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the interface of food, nutrition and oncology. Cancer is one of the major leading causes of death in the United States and throughout the world. The best treatment for cancer is still prevention. This chapter provides an introduction to cancer, clinical trials, and reviews the evidence that exists for the influence of physical activity, weight, and especially nutrition, including both macronutrients and micronutrients, on the risk of cancer development and on the success of cancer treatment. Additionally, this chapter discusses the difficulties and problems involved in developing and conducting large population based clinical trials examining the connection between nutrition and cancer. This, unfortunately, often results in conflicting results or results which are not clinically applicable. Overall, altering physical activity, weight, and diet is predicted to reduce the incidence of cancer by one third to one half. More support is needed to fund ongoing clinical trials, including trials that focus on the impact of GMO foods and pesticides on the risk of development of cancer. Finally, the consumers must become better educated on the relationship between exercise, weight, and diet on the development of cancer, in an effort to change population habits to reduce cancer incidences.