title: Dietary lifestyle and colorectal cancer onset, recurrence, and survival: myth or reality?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interest in the possibility that diet might help to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer dates back to 1970 based on both the large variation in rates of specific cancers in different countries and the impressive changes observed in the incidence of cancer in migrants from low- to high-risk areas. Here, we report the state of art of literature data about this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three sections have been separately considered: chemoprevention of first tumor onset, chemoprevention of recurrence after surgery, and chemoprevention of polyp recurrence in the course of the follow-up of subjects with elevated risk. A particular attention has been pointed to dietary factors and survival, whose relevance is showing a growing interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relationship between diet and colorectal cancer has been extensively studied about the onset, sometimes with controversial results. Its influence on recurrence and survival has been examined in only few studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Literature data are convincing for a protective role on the onset of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions for some foods such as fibers, vitamin A and D, folic acid, calcium, antioxidants, and promising perspectives for some substances such as phyto-estrogens. Less evidence-based data are available on the possibility to avoid the recurrence of the disease or to affect its mortality with dietary habits. Future perspectives will be directed be not only to identify new dietary style able to prevent the onset of neoplastic lesion of the colon but also to realize an effective chemoprevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lofano
authors.forename: Mariabeatrice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Principi
authors.forename: Maria Principia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Scavo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pricci
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Leo
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015996:Survival Rate