How does dietary status affect carcinogenesis?

... How does dietary status affect carcinogenesis? Cancer is a multi-factoral disease resulting from the perturbation of the normal regulatory processes of a cell. Cancer cells are generated from healthy cells by an accumulation of genetic alterations [1]. These alterations can take the form of mutations, losses, amplifications or re-arrangements in so called "oncogenes" or "tumour suppresser genes" [1]. The many potential mutations giving rise to cancer are initiated by carcinogenic substances and by certain environmental conditions [1]. Carcinogenic substances can be loosely classified as "endogenous", which may be naturally occurring, iatrogenic, environmental contaminants or life style-related or endogenous, for example reactive oxygen species which can be produced in vivo. The human diet consists of an array of microbial, animal and plant derived material and a link between diet and health has been recognised for many centuries [2]. The specific relationship between diet and cancer however is ill defined and uncertain and

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