FAT AND CALORIES IN COLON AND BREAST-CANCER - FROM ANIMAL STUDIES TO CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIALS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fat and total calories are closely correlated in the diet. Because of this correlation, studies of dietary fat and breast and colorectal cancer incidence have been peculiarly difficult to interpret. METHODS: This article reviews the information from rodent models of breast and colorectal cancer and epidemiological studies addressing the separate effects of calories and fat in the diet. Various statistical approaches described for separating the effects of calories and fat are outlined, with a review of epidemiological case-control, cohort, and prospective controlled clinical studies of diet and breast and colorectal neoplasia. RESULTS: Animal studies provide convincing evidence f..