ABSTRACT
During the past three decades, epidemiologic studies have demonstrated the influence of the environment and life styles on the development of certain forms of cancer. Dietary fat has received considerable attention as a possible risk factor in the etiology of colon cancer. Several early experiments indicated a strong relationship between the amount of dietary fat and colon cancer in animal models. The role of type and amount of dietary fat in colon carcinogenesis has been studied in several laboratories. Laboratory animal studies have provided useful data for evaluating the role of dietary fat in the development of colon carcinogenesis. The varied effects of different types of fat on colon carcinogenesis suggest that the fatty acid composition is one of the determining factors in colon tumor promotion. The strength of the association between dietary fat and colon cancer risk, the experimental evidence, as well as the biological plausibility indicate that these associations are real.
