Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diet and cancer

  • Guest Editorial
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Conclusions

Since unbalanced diets may increase the carcinogenic risk for certain organs, a balanced form of nutrition is to be recommended from the present point of view. It can also be recommended to avoid hyperalimentation, since this seems to have a positive effect on the cancer mortality risk; furthermore, ideal-weight individuals run a definitely lower risk of suffering a cardiac infarct than overweight individuals. Certain anticancer diets cannot be established. But the intake of juices and salads with a high vitamin C content can inhibit the formation of nitrosamines directly after the intake of food, because the nitrosation is prevented by nitrite interception. Negative influences of diets with a high fiber content are not known. Positive effects are discussed. Since it also prevents obstipation, it can well be recommended.

Since dietary habits cannot shortly and easily be changed and changes in nutrition have a considerable impact on the personal quality of living, recommendations favoring certain diets should be given with all due caution. In our opinion the scientific basis for recommendations seems to be too small to justify very restrictive diets for cancer prevention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Armstrong, B., Doll, R.: Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries with special reference to dietary practices. Int. J. Cancer 15, 617–631 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bansal, B.R., Rhoads, J.E., Bansal, S.C.: Effects of diet on colon carcinogenesis and the immune system in rats with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Cancer Res. 38, 3293–3303 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Barna-Lloyd, G.: “Environmentally” caused cancers. Science 202 (4367), 469 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Berg, J.W., Howell, M.A.: The geographic pathology of bowel cancer. Cancer 38, 807–814 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjelke, E.: Epidemiology of colorectal cancer. In: Current views in gastroenterology. Symposia and round table conferences of the 10th International Congress of Gastroenterology, Budapest. pp 55–66, (1977)

  • Breslow, N.E., Enstrom, J.E.: Geographic correlations between cancer mortality rates and alcohol-tobacco consumption in the United States. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 53, 631–639 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Broitman, S.A., Vitale, J.J., Vavrousek-Jakuba, E., Gottlieb, L.S.: Polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol and large bowel tumorigenesis. Cancer 40, 2455–2463 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkitt, D.P.: Epidemiologic approach to cancer of the large intestine. Dis. Col. Rect. 17, 456–461 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrol, K.K., Khor, H.I.: Effects of dietary fat and dose level of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene on mammary tumor incidence in rats. Cancer Res. 30, 2260–2264 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowther, J.S., Drasar, B.S., Hill, M.J., Maclennan, R., Peach, S., Theoh-Chan, C.H.: Pecal steroids and bacteria and large bowel cancer in Hongkong socio-economic groups. Br. J. Cancer 34, 191–198 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, J.E.: Cancer epidemiology in populations of the United States — with emphasis on Hawaii and California and Japan. Cancer Res. 35, 3240–3245 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Enstrom, J.E.: Colorectal cancer and beer drinking. Br. J. Cancer 35, 674–683 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, S., Schotz, W., Martino, P.: Alimentary factors in the epidemiology of gastric cancer. Cancer 30, 927–938 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, G.E., Pike, M.C., Henderson, B.E.: Breast-cancer incidence and mortality rates in different countries in relation to known risk factors and dietary practices. Br. J. Cancer 39 (1), 1–7 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Habs, M., Schmähl, D.: Inhibition of the hepatocarcionogenic activity of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) by ethanol in rats. In press (1979a)

  • Habs, M., Schmähl, D.: Carcinogene Substanzen in der Nahrung. Innere Medizin. In press (1979b)

  • Haenszel, W., Correa, P.: Developments in the epidemiology of stomach cancer over the past decade. Cancer Res. 35, 3452–3459 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Haenszel, W., Kurihara, M., Segi, M., Lee, R.K.C.: Stomach cancer among Japanese in Hawaii. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 49, 969–988 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Haenszel, W., Berg, J.W., Segi, M., Kurihara, M., Locke, F.B.: Large bowel cancer in Hawaiian Japanese. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 51, 1765–1779 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ito, N.: Personal communication at the Toxicology Forum, Annual Meeting, Aspen, Colorado, USA (1979)

  • Mahboubi, E., Ghadivian, P.: Tea drinking habits and esophageal cancer in adjacent low and high incidence areas of Iran. Proc. AACR 17, 87 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, A.B.: The etiology of bladder cancer from the epidemiological viewpoint. Cancer Res. 37, 2939–2942 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Modan, B., Barell, V., Lubin, F., Modan, M., Greenberg, R.A., Graham, S.: Low-fiber intake as an etiological factor in cancer of the colon. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 55, 15–18 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mower, H.F., Ray, R.M., Shoff, R., Stemmermann, G.N., Nomura, A., Glober, G.A. Kamiyama, S., Shimada, S., Yamakawa, H.: Fecal bile acids in two Japanese populations with different colon cancer risks. Cancer Res. 39, 328–331 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Narisawa, T., Reddy, B.S., Wong, C.-Q., Weisburger, J.H.: Effect of vitamin A deficiency on rat colon carcinogenesis by N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine. Cancer Res. 36, 1379–1383 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Newberne, P.M., Rogers, A.E.: Rat colon carcinoma associated with aflatoxin and marginal vitamin A. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 50, 439–448 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Newberne, P.M., Suphakarn, V.: Preventive role of vitamin A in colon carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer 40, 2553–2556 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oiso, T.: Incidence of stomach cancer and its relation to dietary habits and nutrition in Japan between 1900 and 1975. Cancer Res. 35, 3254–3258 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Osswald, H., Schmähl, D.: Bedeutungslosigkeit des Ernährungszustandes von Ratten für die Hepatomentwicklung durch Diäthylnitrosamin. Naturwissenschaften 53, (10) 255–256 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B.S., Mangat, S., Weiburger, J.H., Wynder, E.L.: Effect of high risk diets for colon carcinogenesis on intestinal mucosal and bacterial β-glucuronidase activity in F344 rats. Cancer Res. 37, 3533–3536 (1977a)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B.S., Watanabe, K., Weisburger, J.H.: Effect of high fat diet on colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, methylazoxymethanol acetate, or methylnitrosourea, Cancer Res. 37, 4156–4159 (1977b)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B.S., Watanabe, K., Weisburger, J.H., Wynder, E.L.: Promoting effect of bile acids in colon carcinogenesis in germfree and conventional F344 rats. Cancer Res. 37, 3238–3242 (1977c)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B.S., Hedges, A., Laakso, K., Wynder, E.L.: Fecal constituents of a high-risk North American and a low-risk Finish population for the development of large bowel cancer. Cancer Letters 4, 217–222 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, B.S., Wynder, E.L.: Metabolic epidemiology of colon cancer, Cancer 39, 2533–2539 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, A.E.: Variable effects of a lipotrope-deficient, high-fat diet on chemical carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer Res. 35, 2469–2474 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, A.E.: Reduction of N-nitrosodiethylamine carcinogenesis in rats by lipotrope or amino acid supplementation of a marginally deficient diet. Cancer Res. 37, 194–199 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmähl, D.: Entstehung, Wachstum und Chemotherapie maligner Tumoren. Editio Cantor, Aulendorf 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmähl, D., Danisman, A., Habs, M., Diehl, B.: Experimental investigations on the influence upon chemical carcinogenesis, 3rd Comm.: Studies with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Z. Krebsforsch. 86, 89–94 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmähl, D., Habs, M., Wolter, S., Künstler, K.: Experimental investigations on the influence upon chemical carcinogenesis: Influence of different diets on colon carcinogenesis by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in Sprague-Dawley rats. J. Cancer Res. Clin. Oncol. 93, 57–66 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shank, R.C.: Epidemiology of aflatoxin carcinogenesis. In: Environmental Cancer. Kraybill, H.F., Mehlmann, M.A. (eds.). New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo: John Wiley & Sons 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigurjonsson, J.: Occupational variations in mortality from gastric cancer in relation to dietary differences. Br. J. Cancer 21, 651–656 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Takayama, S.: Personal communication at the Toxicology Forum, Annual Meeting, Aspen, Colorado, USA (1979)

  • Tucker, M.J.: The effect of long-term food restriction on tumours in rodents. Int. J. Cancer 23, 803–807 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuyns, A.J.: Cancer of the Oesophagus. Further evidence of the relation to drinking habits in France. Int. J. Cancer 5, 152–156 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuyns, A.J., Obradovic, M.: Unexpected high incidence of primary liver cancer in Geneva, Switzerland. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 54, 61–64 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburger, J.H.: Current views on mechanisms concerned with the etiology of cancers in the digestive tract. In: Proc. 7th Int. Symposium Princess Takamatsu Cancer Res. Rund.. Farber, E., Kawachi, T., Nagayo, T., Sugano, H., Sugimura, T., Weisburger, J.H. (eds.), 1–20. Tokyo, Baltimore, London: University Park Press 1976

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO Technical Reports, Serial No. 276. World Health Organization Expert Commitee on the Prevention of Cancer (1964)

  • Wynder, E.L., Goldsmith, R.: The epidemiology of bladder cancer: A second look. Cancer 40, (3), 1246–1268 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wynder, E.L., Gori, G.B.: Contribution of the environmental cancer incidence: An epidemiologic exercise. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 58, 825–832 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaldivar, R., Wetterstrand, W.H.: High-fibre, low-saturated-fat diet, and the aetiology of colo-rectal carcinomata in a low-risk population. Z. Krebsforsch. 87, 41–45 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Toxikologie und Chemotherapie am Deutschen Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-6900, Heidelberg 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    M. Habs & D. Schmähl

Authors
  1. M. Habs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Schmähl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

“Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology” publishes in loose succession “Editorials” and “Guest Editorials” on actual and/or controversial problems in experiemntal and clinical oncology. these contributions represent exclusively the personal opinion of the author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Habs, M., Schmähl, D. Diet and cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 96, 1–10 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412892

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412892

Search

Navigation