We will be participating in this session called Food as Medicine. Basically we will talk about the evidence that we have reviewed focusing on breast and colorectal cancer survival. We have published a series of papers in this regard recently, in 2023 and recently in 2024, where we reviewed the literature on this and summarised them quantitatively as well as qualitatively if the evidence didn’t allow so.

That is now part of the work and the World Cancer Research Fund also commissioned a group of international experts who independently reviewed the quality of the evidence where they grade the quality of the evidence and determine if it is suitable to make cancer recommendations or guidance in that regard. I’m happy to tell you, based on what we have provided, contributed to the evidence base, on top of other evidence that they reviewed, for example related to the pathways, the mechanisms driving certain factors impacting on cancer survival, they considered all this evidence and were able to make cancer guidance for these cancer groups, so breast cancer and colorectal cancer patients.

The World Cancer Research Fund has published some reports on this and they will launch these reports tomorrow morning from a quarter to eleven to a quarter past eleven, around that time. It is a very important report.

What is the World Cancer Research Fund Global Cancer Update programme? And what has it done so far and what’s next?

Basically all these recommendations and guidance on lifestyle recommendations is to be able to help people to make informed decisions to change their lifestyle to prevent cancer development. And for cancer patients to be able to cope with the cancer and have a better survival. That is the main aim of the World Cancer Research Fund and that is what our work is mainly based on.

What role can diet and nutrition play in cancer prognosis?

People know cancer is preventable, a quarter of cancers can be prevented by modifying lifestyle factors. That is including adiposity, which I heard from these conferences that some people don’t know that. Alcohol is another thing that people don’t know. So in terms of cancer prevention is to limit alcohol drinking and be a healthy weight and be physically active and consume a healthy diet that will lead to better body composition. All this is contributing to a healthy lifestyle and people can take up that message.