ABSTRACT

This chapter is intended to present in a balanced way the effect of diet (including modulation by sex, age, and race), environmental and occupational factors, physical activity, genetics and epigenetics, gene-environment interactions and immune response on cancers’ development, progression, and prevention. More than 10 million people a year are diagnosed with cancer worldwide. With improvements in early detection and treatment, increasing numbers of patients can expect to live at least 5 years after they are diagnosed with cancer. These individuals will join the expanding

I. Introduction .................................................................................................. 415 II. Cancers and Their Modulation by Dietary, Environmental, or Lifestyle

Factors ........................................................................................................... 416 A. Colorectal Cancer .................................................................................. 416 B. Breast Cancer ........................................................................................ 423 C. Head and Neck Cancers ........................................................................ 429 D. Gastric Cancer ....................................................................................... 430 E. Lung Cancer .......................................................................................... 430 F. Ovarian Cancer ..................................................................................... 431 G. Endometrial Cancer .............................................................................. 432 H. Prostate Cancer ..................................................................................... 433 I. Urinary Bladder Cancer ........................................................................ 435 J. Other Cancers ....................................................................................... 436

1. Pancreatic Cancer ........................................................................... 436 2. Kidney Cancers .............................................................................. 436 3. Skin Cancer .................................................................................... 437

III. Molecular Mechanisms and Targets ............................................................. 438 A. DNA Repair Pathways .......................................................................... 438 B. Nutritional Modulation of DNA Repair ................................................ 441 C. Epigenetic Mechanisms ........................................................................ 441 D. Apoptosis ...............................................................................................442 E. Inflammation and Immunity .................................................................442 F. Angiogenesis ......................................................................................... 443 IV. Conclusions and Research Needs .......................................................... 443

References ..............................................................................................................446