Diet and Cancer: New Approaches to Cancer Prevention and Treatment Revealed by the Latest Science

The Surprising Relationship Between the Increasingly "Metabolic" and Cancer

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, Urvi Shah, a hematology/oncology researcher, began to think deeply about the relationship between diet and cancer. 4 months of chemotherapy cured her cancer, but the question remained in her mind: "What role did diet play in curing cancer? "What role did diet play in curing cancer?"

In recent years, a number of studies have suggested a relationship between obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic diseases and the development and progression of cancer. In the United States, "metabolic syndrome" is diagnosed when three or more of these symptoms fall outside the norm.

The percentage of patients with metabolic syndrome has been on the rise in recent years due to the western diet and lack of exercise. Excessive intake of alcohol, refined carbohydrates, fatty foods, and lack of exercise are thought to cause inflammation and lead to DNA damage; the more DNA is damaged, the higher the risk of normal cells becoming cancerous.

Cancer has a common enemy: "metabolic abnormalities.

Conventional cancer therapies have mostly targeted specific genetic mutations. In recent years, however, there is a growing belief that cancer is a metabolic disease with a common feature of metabolic abnormalities.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), by 2022 there will be approximately 20 million cases of cancer worldwide, resulting in 9.7 million deaths. In many developed countries, cancer is the leading cause of death, surpassing heart disease.

Although advances in genomic analysis technology have increased our knowledge of the genetic changes that occur in cancer, there are only a limited number of genes that are effective therapeutic targets. Metabolic changes, on the other hand, occur commonly in almost all cancers.

A large study in China showed that a group with a high metabolic syndrome score had a 30% higher risk of developing any type of cancer compared to a group with a low score.

Obesity and inflammation: a vicious cycle that increases the risk of cancer

Obesity causes inflammation that damages healthy tissue and has been linked to at least 13 types of cancer. Studies have shown that obese women have a three times higher risk of endometrial cancer and a 2.5 times higher risk of kidney cancer compared to metabolically healthy women.

Excess body fat, especially abdominal fat, both increase inflammation, blood sugar, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) production, which are associated with certain cancers," said Steven Friedland, director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Integrative Cancer and Lifestyle Research. Even though different types of cancer have different mechanisms, they all share one thing in common: metabolic dysfunction."

Diet and Lifestyle Reduce Cancer Risk

However, the relationship between cancer and metabolism is not just about food and weight. Studies have shown that people with symptoms of metabolic syndrome have a higher risk of developing cancer, even if they are of standard weight.

Lifestyle also affects how the body responds to insulin and how efficiently it converts food into energy.

There are also numerous studies showing that stress, sleep disturbances, lack of exercise, and loneliness are associated with all types of cancer, regardless of weight or BMI.

Dietary intervention studies: new hope for cancer patients

Urvi Shah is currently an Assistant Professor at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, USA, working on a dietary intervention study that provides nutritional guidance to cancer patients.

Her team reports that when cancer patients follow a Mediterranean diet rich in plant-based foods, inflammatory markers are reduced and quality of life is improved.

Combining diet with conventional therapies is expected to further improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Conclusion

The relationship between diet and cancer is an area of research that has attracted much attention in recent years. Although research results are still in the early stages, they suggest that changes in diet and lifestyle have great potential for cancer prevention and treatment.