Dietary Options for Cancer Survivors is a guide to research on foods, food substances, herbals and dietary regimens that may influence cancer. As many as 81% of cancer survivors take dietary supplements to prevent secondary tumors or recurrent of their cancer. Dietary Options for Cancer Survivors was created for these cancer survivors. Chapters 3 through 6 contain lists of dietary interventions for which cancer claims have been made. Under each entry on each list is a summary of the research that supports or contradicts the claim. These summaries are exhaustively annotated so that readers who are so inclined can examine the original source. The annotated lists are presented so that cancer survivors who intend to avail themselves of diet-related interventions can make informed choices.
The information is presented in four lists for easy reference: Food and Food-Based Supplements; Vitamins and Minerals; Herbals; and Diet-related Therapies and Regimens. The four lists are comprehensive, not selective. Except in chapter 1 where guidelines for interpreting scientific studies are offered, no advice is given. Except in chapter 2 where the general shape of a cancer-fighting diet is described, no recommendations are made. It is our hope that reading the science behind the health claims will prompt people to think seriously before they make dietary changes or take supplements.
