DIET AND CANCER

Diet and Cancer

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliations

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Diet and Cancer

Introduction

The topic selected for this essay is Diet and Cancer. The journal selected for this paper is

by Wiseman M., published in the year 2019. The article is a recent study named "Nutrition and

cancer: Prevention and survival." The report highlights the relationship between causal factors

such as a diet with cancer. It is compatible with the textbook since chapter 13 of the book

highlights the link between diet and cancer also.

Summary of the article

Wiseman M., in his article "Nutrition and cancer: Prevention and survival," describes the

relationship between cancer and the diet. The author of this article mentions that factors such as

diet, nutritional and environmental exposures, and host factors interact with each other, thus

affecting the cancer process. Some of the host factors include genetics, microbiomes,

epigenetics, age, gender, metabolic and inflammatory state, and other genders. The author

suggests that these host factors impact the susceptibility to the development of cancer. On the

other hand, environmental factors include food contaminants, viruses, UV radiations, and

environmental carcinogens.

According to the author of this article, nutrients, alcohol, phytochemicals, physical

activities, and smoking are some of the lifestyle and diet factors that lead to cancer. The author

identifies environmental factors as the core determinants of cancer. As per the author, nutrition

only enhances the critical cellular and molecular processes which characterize cancer.

Epidemiology identifies the interactions between aspects of nutrition, diet, and physical activities

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between cancers. The author claims that some nutritional factors are causals of cancer. Wiseman

further argues that some of the factors such as smoking could explain the variations that exist in

some types of cancer. On the other hand, it could also fail to explain the differences in other

cancers.

In high-income countries, Wiseman states that colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer are

the most prevalent. Prevailing behaviors of individuals do not conform to the patterns of

preventing excess adiposity behaviors that reduce the risk of cancer. These behaviors include

maintaining a healthy diet and activity patterns. The author states that the nutritional department

depends on the environment to create policies that help individuals practice healthy eating and

physical activity.

Relationship between the article and the course material

The article "Nutrition and cancer: Prevention and survival" is compatible with the study

resource in some aspects. Firstly, both studies support that cancers cost a considerable

percentage of death. Furthermore, the article and the study guide both point out prostate and

breast cancer as the leading types of cancers that kill most individuals. According to Zaorsky

(2017), patients of breast and prostate cancer are at a higher risk of dying of non-cancer related

deaths.

Similarly, both of the articles attribute fiber as one of the food components that aid in the

prevention of cancer. They elucidate that people who eat foods rich in fiber are at a lower risk of

contracting colon cancer. Wiseman suggests that risks of cancers of the colorectum can decrease

in case an individual consumes food rich in dietary fibers. Dietary fibers have gotten associations

with minimizing the chances of colorectal cancer, but it is not clear at which stage it is helpful to

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the patient. (Kunzmann et al., 2015). Kunzmann suggests that associations between intake of

dietary fibers and colorectal cancer got first witnessed in Africa. The Africans consumed food

that was rich in dietary fiber and therefore registered low incidences of colorectal cancer.

Aside from that, the article by Wiseman illustrates that nutrition factors related to dietary

elements, the composition of the body like obesity, and the physical activity of a body determine

the characteristics of the cancer cell. The author suggests that metabolic disturbances altered by

the body fatness can have an impact on the cellular and molecular processes that cause cell

differentiation between cancer and normal cells. Khodarahmi & Azadbakht (2014), also suggest

that epidemiological studies conducted previously support that there is a relationship between fat

intake and the risk of getting cancer. Similarly, the course work material indicates that obesity

contributes to the majority of causes of cancers. The textbook suggests that the increase of fats in

the body can cause both colon and breast cancer in women.

The article by Wiseman also parts ways with the guide book. In the guide book, diet,

obesity, and the use of tobacco are the apparent causes of cancer. The guide indicates that 30%

of the causes of cancer get caused by tobacco use and obesity. However, Wiseman, in his article,

refutes the association of diet as the significant contributors to cancer. Wiseman suggests that

host factors impact the susceptibility to cancers. He implies that some of the diet factors, such as

alcohol and meat, are likely causal factors. The textbook strongly argues out that individuals who

consume meat, mainly processed meat are at a higher risk of having cancer.

In conclusion, both the coursework material and Wiseman’s article Nutrition and cancer:

Prevention and survival have a relation. Under the topic, diet, and cancer, the textbook highlights

the causes of cancer, which are similar to Wiseman’s. The author of this book indicates that a

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more significant percentage of deaths are as a result of individuals with breast and prostate

cancer. Similarly, Wiseman agrees with the notion. Both two aspects indicate a similarity as they

discuss cancer and diet and nutrition. However, the article also differs from the coursework

textbook, as Wiseman suggests that host factors enhance the susceptibility to cancer.

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References

Khodarahmi, M., & Azadbakht, L. (2014). The Association between Different Kinds of Fat

Intake and Breast Cancer Risk in Women. International journal of preventive medicine,

5(1), 6.

Kunzmann, A. T., Coleman, H. G., Huang, W. Y., Kitahara, C. M., Cantwell, M. M., & Berndt,

S. I. (2015). Dietary Fiber Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Incident and

Recurrent Adenoma in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening

Trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 102(4), 881-890.

Wiseman, M. (2019). Nutrition and cancer: Prevention and survival. British Journal of Nutrition,

122(5), 481-487. doi:10.1017/S0007114518002222

Zaorsky, N. G., Churilla, T. M., Egleston, B. L., Fisher, S. G., Ridge, J. A., Horwitz, E. M., &

Meyer, J. E. (2017). Causes of Death among Cancer Patients. Annals of Oncology, 28(2),

400-407.