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Food and Medicine: Partners in Prevention

In ongoing efforts to find more effective treatments for colon cancer, medical researchers are trying creative approaches to cure and, perhaps, even prevent this type of malignancy. One of the more promising ideas being explored is the partnership of nutritional control with medications not usually associated with cancer treatment.

A lecture by Dr. Bandaru S. Reddy at the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research presented some of the innovative methods being studied. Reddy noted that scientific research has quite conclusively shown that certain kinds of dietary fats increase the risk of contracting bowel cancer. He also noted that certain fibers seem to inhibit the development of cancerous cells.
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Reddy cited various studies performed in a wide variety of cultural settings that consistently found that high fat diets, particularly those high in saturated fats, appear to be a factor in increased rates for the occurrence of colorectal cancer. When natural fiber found in foods, such as wheat bran, was introduced, these rates declined, even when the diets still contained high amount of fat. The crucial factor was that fiber appears to reduce the level of colonic secondary bile acids. These acids have been blamed for the development of cancerous cells.

Additionally, Reddy noted that other chemical compounds not traditionally associated with cancer treatment may be useful in combating the disease. This process, called chemoprevention, uses various natural and synthetic chemicals to block tumor formation or to inhibit future tumor growth if carcinogenesis has begun.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, have been getting increased attention as anti-cancer agents. These drugs are more commonly associated with pain relief and include well known over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin. The role that aspirin can play in preventing heart attacks has received much public attention; now it seems that this drug, found in almost every American home, may be on the front lines in the fight against colon cancer.

Scientists don't yet know exactly how NSAIDs prevent the development of cancerous tumors. However, researchers have found that the very elements that make them effective in reducing pain and inflammation also reduce and even prevent tumor growth. Future clinical trials will, undoubtedly, shed more light on these effects.

Lastly, Reddy noted that the use of dietary mineral supplements also seems to have a role in preventing cancerous growths. Specifically, selenium-enriched brewer's yeast reduced both the level of occurrence of colon cancer and the mortality rates. Importantly, the same effects were noted whether the selenium came from manufactured or natural sources.

Combining dietary factors, investigating the use of different chemical families such as NSAIDs, and an increased awareness of the importance of vitamins and minerals are just three of the recent innovations that arise from medical research into the factors that cause or prevent cancer. The importance of continued support for such important research cannot be overstated.

Resource

Reddy B. S. (2000, March). The fourth DeWitt S. Goodman lecture: Novel approaches to the prevention of colon cancer by nutritional manipulation and chemoprevention. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 9, 239–47.

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