The Link Between Diet and Cancer

Cancers is one of the most prevalent diseases plaguing the United States. Although the risk of developing cancer can be passed down through genetics, a significant percentage of cancer diagnoses are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors, including diet. I hypothesize that a standard Western dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of cancer due to how calorie dense, high fat, and processed the foods consumed in it are. In this paper, I analyze peer-reviewed articles, organizational websites, and government websites to attempt to prove this relationship. Studies link cancer risk and a Western diet pattern through obesity, inflammation, and specific foods that are highly consumed in the diet. The literature confirms there is an association between cancer risk and a Western diet pattern, although most of the evidence contributes this relationship to indirect elements, since this dietary pattern contributes to obesity and inflammation, which are known cancer risk factors.