Cancer Prevention and Therapy With Nutritional Science: Addressing the Gap in Medical Education and Practice

TL;DR

This paper reviews how nutrition, especially plant-based diets, can prevent and treat cancer, and argues for better integration of nutritional science into medical education.

Contribution

The paper emphasizes the need to integrate nutritional science into osteopathic medical education to improve cancer prevention and patient outcomes.

Findings

A plant-based diet reduces cancer risk through essential nutrients and anticancer phytochemicals.

Nutritional interventions can alleviate cancer therapy symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

Current medical education lacks sufficient focus on nutrition, potentially affecting clinical outcomes.

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There exists a correlation between certain cancers and dietary factors. Several known carcinogens are present in the standard American diet, also known as the Western Diet. Additionally, food preparation methods can initiate carcinogenesis. Various dietary components, particularly plant‐based foods, contain bioactive phytochemicals, have demonstrated potential anticancer effects through various molecular mechanisms. Consuming a wide variety of these so‐called “cancer‐fighting” foods may lead to synergism in preventing and slowing cancer progression. The nutritional intervention is also beneficial in cancer therapy, including avoiding malnutrition and cachexia and alleviating cancer therapy‐induced symptoms as well as the use of specific diets that may augment concomitant therapies. This review aims to explore these concepts and highlight the need for their integration into medical school curriculum, particularly osteopathic medical education, as nutrition is closely interrelated to the whole‐person patient care approach. These are fundamental concepts that do not gain the recognition they deserve in the typical medical school curriculum, and this may be reflected in clinical outcomes if not appropriately addressed. Addressing this gap in clinical medicine may reduce the risk of cancer, improve patient outcomes, build trust, and decrease the burden of cancer‐related healthcare costs.

A plant‐based diet reduces the risk of cancer by providing essential nutrients and phytochemicals that contain anticancer properties. Osteopathic medicine's holistic approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of body systems and lifestyle factors, including nutrition, to promote overall health and prevent disease. Incorporating nutrition into osteopathic clinical practice for cancer prevention in crucial in supporting health and mitigating cancer risk.

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