A conference organised by the University of Glasgow, Department of Human Nutrition on Diet and Cancer will take place on Tuesday 14 May 2002 at The Holiday Inn, Glasgow City-West. The conference will be attended by health professionals throughout the UK and aims to provide delegates with the latest information on diet and cancer which is vital in their daily practice.

Malcolm Chisolm, Minister for Health and Community Care who will be addressing the conference said, "The links between diet and cancer are well known. A great deal is being achieved across the country through initiatives such as fruit and vegetables in schools. By helping our youngsters to avoid unhealthy eating habits, we are giving them a chance for a better future. By bringing together professionals and others to share understanding and innovation, conferences such as this also help to get the important messages about diet and nutrition embedded in everyday thinking and practice. This is crucial if we are to continue to tackle the challenges presented by cancer which require action on so many fronts".

It has been estimated that 35% of cancers are linked to diet alone. Conference speaker Dr. Sheila Bingham, Deputy Director, Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, will present the most recent results from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC), in the context of mechanisms relating to protection against cancer, for example, the effects of meat and fibre in colorectal cancer. The EPIC study is the largest of its kind ever undertaken.

Many cancer patients try complimentary/alternative medicines. Some preventative approaches such as allum vegetables, ginseng, green tea and vegetarian diets are backed up by promising evidence. Professor E Ernst of the University of Exeter, who will speak on the evidence for and against alternative / complimentary medicine treatments for cancer said, "The ultimate questions are; which alternative/complimentary treatments will do more good than harm and which is more advantageous over conventional medicine?" At present, he believes that alternative/complimentary medicine is fragmented, rarely conclusive and more research is needed. Other speakers include:

• Aetiology and prevention of colorectal cancer Professor Julian Little, Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen
• Weight loss and the systematic inflammatory response in patients with advanced cancer Dr Donald McMillan, Senior Lecturer, University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow
• Diet and Cancer: Evidence and practicalities Jane Wilson, Senior Oncology Dietician, Beatson Oncology Centre, Glasgow
• Nutritional journey of the patient with oral cancer Fiona Dawson, Senior Dietician, Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit, Glasgow
• Treatment for Colorectal Cancer: State of the Art Professor Jim Cassidy, Chair of CRC Medical Oncology, University of Glasgow
• Closing Speech and questions Malcolm Chisolm, Minister for Health and Community Care, Scottish Executive

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