Cancer Sites
Initially there will be a rolling programme of updates to the cancer site systematic literature reviews. The first cancer site updated was breast cancer. Work has now commenced on updating prostate and colorectal cancers. All three cancers will continue to be updated - and more cancers will be added - until all cancers are up to date at any one time on the central database. The plan is to review the food, nutrition and physical activity exposures that were graded convincing or probable by the Second Expert Report Panel on a continuous basis. This is particularly important as exposures graded convincing or probable are the basis for the WCRF/AICR recommendations. If any new findings result in a change in the recommendations these will be communicated to different audiences in various ways.
Other food, nutrition and physical activity exposures where the evidence was less strong or unclear will also be reviewed to see if there are any new findings that might enable the Panel to make new recommendations.
Breast cancer
Breast cancer was identified as the first cancer site to be updated on the central database. However before this could start work was required to upgrade the central database. Over the past couple of years much work has been carried out to improve the central database. This included new features to enable the team at Imperial to enter information from each newly published article more easily. There are also features to help with analyses and report writing, as well as improved security measures. Additional improvements to the database will be undertaken on an ongoing process.
The team at Imperial produced a full report of the evidence on food, nutrition and physical activity that included the latest evidence in addition to the evidence presented in the Second Expert Report. The Panel considered the report and agreed that the current WCRF/AICR recommendations were still up to date for breast cancer. A summary of the report with the Panel's Recommendation is available.
View the WCRF press release or the AICR press release.
Prostate cancer
Work commenced in 2008 on updating the literature for prostate cancer.
Bowel (colorectal) cancer
Work commenced in 2009 on updating the literature for colorectal cancer and colorectal adenomas.
Pancreatic cancer
Work is expected to commence on updating the literature on pancreatic cancer later this year.
Breast Cancer Survivors
A new protocol to review the literature on breast cancer survival is being produced. Work on updating the literature is expected to start later this year.