ABSTRACT
Environmental and lifestyle behavioral factors are thought to contribute to the majority of cancer cases. The majority of studies aimed at gaining a better mechanistic understanding of the effects of diet on carcinogenesis, examining the impact of a particular food, food group, or nutrient compound on tumor onset and growth. Many of the modifiable cancer risk factors defined by the WHO are also associated with increased levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) metabolites. Mass spectrometry analysis of breast tumor tissue identified several AGE-modified proteins with functional significance to breast cancer progression. AGE levels were significantly elevated in both serum and tumor from prostate cancer patients, with highest accumulation occurring in the more aggressive tumors. Increased glucose metabolism as a consequence of increased sugar intake is also a unifying biological consequence, which links poor lifestyle and cancer with AGEs. Systematic and meta-analysis reviews indicate that healthy nutrition reduces the risk of developing cancer and potentially mortality among cancer survivors.
