Major cancer prevention report analyses world’s largest evidence base on dietary patterns
A major new report by World Cancer Research Fund International provides strong evidence that following specific dietary and lifestyle patterns can significantly reduce cancer risk. The report, released 9 April, reviews 170 global studies and presents comprehensive recommendations based on patterns of eating, physical activity, and weight management rather than focusing on individual nutrients or foods.
World Cancer Research Fund International has released a groundbreaking report on Dietary and Lifestyle Patterns (DLPs) and their role in cancer prevention. The extensive review of global research emphasises the importance of analysing dietary patterns holistically rather than focusing on individual nutrients or food groups to understand cancer risk reduction.
The findings, judged by an independent panel of experts, represent the world’s largest source of scientific research on the impact of diet, nutrition, physical activity, and body weight on cancer prevention. The report provides a comprehensive evaluation of available global evidence on the link between dietary and lifestyle patterns and cancer risk, with a specific focus on breast and colorectal cancers.
Shifting from individual nutrients to holistic patterns
The report highlights a fundamental shift in nutritional epidemiology from studying single nutrients to examining overall dietary and lifestyle patterns. This approach acknowledges that people don’t consume nutrients in isolation but follow patterns of behaviours that interact with each other.
“For effective non-communicable disease prevention, such as cancer, modifiable risk factors should be viewed holistically,” the authors note. “Interactions take place at different levels: nutrients within a food, and foods with each other. Singling out the effects of individual nutrients or foods does not fully account for the integrated effects of diet and other modifiable behaviours on cancer risk – these are best captured through studying dietary and lifestyle patterns.”
This holistic perspective also makes recommendations more accessible to the public, as dietary and lifestyle patterns better reflect real-life eating habits and behaviours compared to focusing on isolated nutrients.
Strong evidence for breast and colorectal cancer prevention
The systematic reviews were conducted by research teams from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands, focusing on two of the most common cancers globally.
For colorectal cancer, the panel analysed 86 studies and recommended a dietary and lifestyle pattern that includes:
- Maintaining a healthy weight and regularly engaging in physical activity
- Prioritising fruit, vegetables, and fibre-containing foods
- Consuming coffee and calcium-containing foods such as dairy products
- Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol
- Avoiding smoking and processed meats
For breast cancer prevention, the panel assessed 84 research publications and recommended a pattern that includes:
- Maintaining a healthy weight and regular physical activity
- Prioritising fruit, vegetables, and fibre-containing foods
- Reducing consumption of red and processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages
- Avoiding alcohol and smoking
Patterns show consistent evidence of risk reduction
The systematic reviews found particularly strong evidence for the WCRF/AICR score – an integrated package of behaviours concerning diet, physical activity, and body weight – being associated with reduced risk of both breast and colorectal cancers.
Professor Edward Giovannucci from Harvard School of Public Health highlighted the significance of this approach: “The major advancement of this project is in the development of methods of synthesising the data on diet and lifestyle in a more holistic manner, rather than examining piecemeal specific components such as individual foods and nutrients.”
The hybrid patterns linked to increased cancer risk also provided valuable insights. These were constructed from components found to predict biomarkers associated with increased insulin or inflammation levels, both of which are strongly associated with colorectal cancer incidence.
A comprehensive recommendation for overall cancer prevention
Based on the evidence, the expert panel developed an overarching recommendation for cancer prevention:
“For cancer prevention, follow a healthy dietary pattern, aim to be physically active, maintain a healthy body weight and avoid smoking. In such a dietary pattern, fruit, vegetables and fibre containing foods are prioritised.”
The report emphasises that the more components of this dietary and lifestyle pattern people adhere to, the better for cancer risk reduction. This recommendation aligns with and supports the existing 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations, providing further evidence that these recommendations work as an integrated pattern.
Barriers to adoption and policy implications
The report acknowledges that following healthy dietary and lifestyle patterns isn’t always straightforward. Social, economic, and environmental factors can create significant barriers for many populations.
“To enable individuals to follow our recommendation for a cancer preventative dietary and lifestyle pattern, policymakers need to ensure that their citizens not only understand the importance of adhering to our recommendations for cancer prevention, but that they live in an environment which is conducive to this,” the report states.
The authors emphasise three key considerations for policymakers:
- Recommendations must be tailored to different regions and cultural contexts to ensure adoption
- Food-based dietary guidelines should incorporate awareness of environmental sustainability
- Comprehensive policy approaches are needed to address barriers that prevent healthy choices
The report notes that “WCRF International acknowledges that, as a result of the current food system, a sustainable healthy dietary and lifestyle pattern is not currently achievable in all areas of the world. This will only be possible with substantial changes to both diets and food systems.”
Recommendations for future research
The report also identifies several limitations in the current evidence base and makes recommendations for future research:
“Studies should aim to ensure that all relevant confounders, especially those specific to the cancer of interest, are adjusted for,” the authors suggest. They also recommend that “data on confounders, as well as the relevant exposures, should be assessed using the most accurate methods possible.”
Other key recommendations include developing standardised scoring systems for commonly studied patterns and ensuring greater demographic diversity within studies, noting that few studies on dietary patterns are currently conducted in Africa or South America.
Wider health benefits beyond cancer prevention
The recommended dietary and lifestyle pattern is expected to have benefits beyond cancer prevention. The report notes that “following this DLP should ensure an adequate supply of a range of dietary nutrients through diet” and that adopting these patterns could also reduce the risk of other non-communicable diseases.
Research has shown that following the WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations can lower diabetes risk and reduce cardiovascular-specific and all-cause mortality, further emphasising the wider public health benefits of this approach.
As Dr Giota Mitrou, WCRF’s Executive Director of Research and Policy, concludes: “This report outlines barriers and opportunities that exist, which could either prevent or help populations stick to a healthy dietary and lifestyle pattern. A cancer preventative Dietary and Lifestyle Pattern is paramount to sustaining healthy populations and we hope will have wider benefits for the health of our planet.”
Reference:
World Cancer Research Fund International. (2025). Dietary and lifestyle patterns for cancer prevention: evidence and recommendations from CUP Global. Available at: www.wcrf.org
