World Cancer Day: How nutrition can unlock disease management and prevention

05 Feb 2024 — The WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicts over 35 million new cancer cases globally by 2050, an increase of 77% from its 2022 estimate of 20 million cases. Key drivers of this growth include the use of tobacco and alcohol, obesity and air pollution. We examine the potential of nutrition to support patients undergoing treatment and explore studies on nutrients’ anticancer activities that may inspire new research on treatment and complementary therapies. 

This year’s World Cancer Day campaign aims to “Close the Care Gap,” as IARC and WHO data reveal global cancer inequities, with a disproportionate impact on underserved populations among a growing cancer burden.