Cancer is a major public health problem and is the second leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide; nearly one in six deaths are attributable to
cancer. Approximately 20% of all
cancers diagnosed in the United States are attributable to unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and body fatness. Individual
cancers are distinct disease states that are multifactorial in their causation, making them exceedingly cumbersome to study from a nutrition standpoint. Genetic influences are a major piece of the puzzle and personalized nutrition is likely to be most effective in disrupting
cancer during all stages. Increasing evidence shows that after a
cancer diagnosis, continuing standard dietary recommendations may not be appropriate. This is because powerful dietary interventions such as short-term fasting and
carbohydrate restriction can disrupt
tumor metabolism, synergizing with standard
therapies such as radiation and
drug therapy to improve efficacy and ultimately,
cancer survival. The importance of identifying dietary interventions cannot be overstated, and the American College of Nutrition's commitment to advancing knowledge and research is evidenced by dedication of the 2017
ACN Annual Meeting to "Disrupting
Cancer: The Role of Personalized Nutrition" and this resulting proceedings manuscript, which summarizes the meeting's findings.