Editorials, BMJ 2007;335:897 (3 November).
The possible influence of diet on the risk of cancer is constantly topical. The subject is important because people can change their diets, and even a moderate effect on risk could prevent several thousand cancers each year in a country the size of the United Kingdom. However, apart from the confirmed adverse effects of alcohol and obesity on the risk for some types of cancer, progress in understanding has been slow and the evidence remains confusing.
