ABSTRACT
Cancer chemoprevention consists in the use of chemical agents to prevent or inhibit the development of carcinogenesis. This intervention can take place at any level throughout the spectrum of carcinogenesis, from the first molecular abnormalities occurring in morphologically normal colonic epithelial cells to the invasive-carcinoma stage. However, in contrast to chemotherapy, the aim is not to cure an already developed tumour. Chemoprevention can also be used, secondarily, to reduce tumour recurrence or the formation of new tumours in patients already treated for a colorectal cancer. Dietary prevention of cancer is not strictly considered to be chemoprevention – except when it concerns particular, isolated, compounds (vitamins, calcium, specific components of food). The use of this restricted definition allows us to consider chemoprevention agents as pharmaceuticals.
