In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)

In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) published the groundbreaking Expert Report, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. The Report was a catalyst for change, creating great opportunities for advancing knowledge in the area of diet and cancer prevention, and stimulating a surge of research in the field.

Since then, technology has revolutionised the way that information is collected and analysed. As a result, in 2001 WCRF/AICR set out to systematically review and assess the body of evidence on food, nutrition, physical activity, and cancer, and to produce a second Expert Report. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, published in November 2007, is the largest project of its kind, and the conclusions and recommendations for preventing cancer are as definitive as the available evidence allows. (http://www.dietandcancerreport.org)

The good news is that although cancer is one of the world’s biggest killers, the disease isn’t simply due to fate or bad luck: up to a third of cancers may be preventable by making lifestyle changes. By following WCRF/AICR’s 10 recommendations and by avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke, people can now take action, knowing that the changes they make really can help protect against cancer. In this issue we take a closer look at the recommendations on plant foods and obesity, as well as the methodology behind the Second Expert Report.