Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 1, Issue 1 75-88, Copyright © 1982 by American College of Nutrition
Nutrition and cancer: state of the art relationship of several nutrients to the development of cancer
R. S. Rivlin
Nutrition and cancer interact in a number of important ways and nutritional
factors are increasingly recognized as relevant to both the prevention and
treatment of cancer. The role of several nutrients in cancer development is
considered briefly here. Deficiency of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) prolongs the
survival of tumor-bearing animals, but may accelerate carcinogenesis caused
by certain agents, as flavin cofactors are involved in drug and carcinogen
metabolism. Deficiency of Vitamin A may enhance the development of tumors
of epithelial origin, particularly lung. Evidence is accumulating that
Vitamin A and/or its precursors, the B-carotenes, may possibly have an
effect in chemoprevention of certain of these epithelial cancers both in
animals and in man. The consumption of dietary fat among various nations is
correlated closely with increased development of cancers of the breast,
colon, and prostate, and possibly of other organs. Studies of migrant
populations from Japan to the United States show changes in prevalence of
stomach and colon cancer in the direction of the native United States
population. Sources of nitrites are of concern because of their potential
conversion to carcinogenic nitrosamines. Limitation of the delivery of
nitrites may be difficult to accomplish so investigators are exploring the
blockade of conversion of nitrites to nitrosamines. Nutrition should not be
viewed as the sole means of cancer prevention and treatment but rather as a
vital component of any treatment plan.