Ask the Expert: Diet and Cancer Prevention

Dr. Marilyn S. Norton
Dr. Marilyn S. Norton, a Sharp-affiliated oncologist and hematologist, answers questions about diet and how it can affect cancer prevention.

What can I do to prevent cancer?
Whenever we talk to our cancer patients, one of their most common questions is, “How do I change my diet?” “What can I eat?” “Can I take antioxidants and is that going to help me towards cancer prevention?” And although there is a lot of research that has gone into antioxidants and prevention of cancer, there really hasn’t been anything scientifically proven that specific antioxidants are going to keep you from getting a particular type of cancer.

Do high-fat diets cause cancer?
We do know that a heart-healthy diet is very good to maintain. High-fat diets might affect cancer, such as colon cancer. There really hasn’t been any scientific data that high-fat diets cause breast cancer. There are some types of solid tumors or cancers in where fat might play a role. But a specific diet for our cancer patients, we specifically tell them to have a heart-healthy diet as far as eating low fats, high fiber.

Does eating organic foods really decrease my risk of getting cancer?
Some of the research that has been done specifically in diet has been more with colon cancer, where we know that patients that don’t have a regular bowel regiment may be at increased risk for getting colon cancer in the sense that possibly pesticides that are sprayed in vegetables and fruits stay in longer in contact with the colon and hence patients that have constipation and not having a regular bowel movements may be at higher risks for getting colon cancer. These are all theories.

There’s nothing that has been scientifically proven that organic foods decreases your risk in getting cancer; however, there is a theory that there is possibly a role of certain environmental exposures that might increase our risk to cancers. And with organic foods we know that the organic foods aren’t heavily sprayed and so possibly it might play a role.

How can I stay healthiest?
So I think the most important thing about cancer prevention is being healthy and good to your body. Eating right, having a heart-healthy diet that’s low in fat and high in fiber and also exercising. Because when you are exercising you are aware of your body, you’re attuned with your body and you are caring for your body. And we know patients that are fit, that exercise and eat right are patients that are going to be more attuned to when symptoms may occur. And these symptoms will lead you to see your physicians so that we can hopefully find if something is starting, find it at a very early stage.

For More Information
To learn more about Sharp's nutrition services or to find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about nutrition, read the Nutrition News archive.