Nutrition and colon cancer prevention.
OBJECTIVE
In spite of improvements in care of colon cancer patients, prevention may enable potential patients to avoid cancer therapy. Although screening is direct and effective, dietary modification or low-risk chemopreventive agents might prevent colon cancer development. In this article, we review recent developments in colon cancer prevention, emphasizing nutrition.


RESULTS
Epidemiologic findings continue to suggest that diet is related to colon cancer risk. These findings, although, are inconsistent enough to render dietary recommendations premature. An exciting recent discovery is that the combination of diflouromethylornithine and sulindac substantially decreases adenomatous polyp recurrence. Reliance upon clinical trials continues to grow as a means of testing prevention strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
Prevention remains an important goal for reducing the burden of colon cancer. Screening has an important role, although it will probably not eliminate all colon cancer. Nutritional modification remains potentially valuable, although research has not yet identified the objects of nutritional intervention. NSAIDs hold promise as chemopreventive agents.
Marshall
James R
JR
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. james.marshall@roswellpark.org
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000518:Eflornithine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013467:Sulindac / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D013467:Sulindac; D001241:Aspirin; D000518:Eflornithine