Despite substantial progress in screening, early diagnosis, and the development of noninvasive technology, gastrointestinal (GI)
cancer remains a major cause of
cancer-associated mortality.
Chemoprevention is thought to be a realistic approach for reducing the global burden of GI
cancer, and efforts have been made to search for chemopreventive agents that suppress
acid reflux, GI
inflammation and the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Thus,
proton pump inhibitors,
statins,
monoclonal antibodies targeting
tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents have been investigated for their potential to prevent GI
cancer. Besides the development of these synthetic agents, a wide variety of the natural products present in a
plant-based diet, which are commonly called phytoceuticals, have also sparked hope for the
chemoprevention of GI
cancer. To perform successful searches of chemopreventive agents for GI
cancer, it is of the utmost importance to understand the factors contributing to GI
carcinogenesis. Emerging evidence has highlighted the role of chronic
inflammation in inducing
genomic instability and telomere shortening and affecting
polyamine metabolism and DNA repair, which may help in the search for new chemopreventive agents for GI
cancer.