Weighing the Evidence
Choices and Chances
The evidence is clear: Everyday choices impact our chances of getting cancer.
Some choices increase our risk; many help to reduce it.
There are no guarantees, but decades of research have shown that we can take steps to protect ourselves against cancer.
An AICR Expert Panel prepared a comprehensive global report that looked at thousands of studies involving many things potentially linked to cancer risk.
The panel judged the strength of the evidence linking different aspects of diet, activity level and body weight to risk of specific cancer types.
Our Expert Report
Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective (released November 2007) is the largest report of its kind ever published and its recommendations are based on the most up-to-date research available.
Our Policy Report
Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention (released February 2009) is the companion document to our Expert Report and examines the factors that influence behaviors associated with cancer risk, and provides comprehensive recommendations for government, industry, and others.
Continuous Update Report
The Continuous Update Project provides up-to-date evidence on diet and cancer risk. Read the first CUP progress report, launched February 4, 2011 for an overview. (PDF file)
The chart below, from our expert report, shows which factors associated with diet, physical activity and body weight were found to be strongly associated (ie, evidence for the link was judged either "convincing" or "probable") to cancer risk.
Expert Panel Judgment Matrix
