Preface

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths around the world and it is globally increasing. The highest incidence rates are in the developed countries such as the USA, and the lowest rates are found in developing countries. These differences in incidence rates appear to be attributable to geographical differences in diet and environmental exposure. Although environmental and genetic factors are the major risk factors for cancer, lifestyle also contributes to the development of this disease. Although screening modalities for early detection and therapeutic management of cancer have improved considerably, this disease still needs better treatment modalities. Since long-term use of cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy can have severe side effects and since tumors can develop resistance to these therapies, agents that can overcome tumor resistance, enhance the therapeutic efficacy of existing drugs and can control multiple signaling pathways are needed to treat cancer.

Although numerous anticancer drugs are available, most of them are expensive and have serious side effects. Thus, the challenging task of finding an alternative cancer treatment measure has become more important than ever to both scientists and physicians. Since natural compounds have been identified and explored for their health benefits for centuries, several nutritional factors have attracted considerable attention as modifiable risk factors in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Natural products are important sources of anti-cancer lead molecules; even many successful anti-cancer drugs approved by FDA are natural products or their derivatives. Still many more are under clinical trials. Based on the current available research, the present book will focus on the chemopreventive and anti-cancer activities of different natural/dietary compounds such as fruits, vegetable, spices, legumes, nuts, grains, and cereals highlighting their potential use against cancer treatment. Since these natural compounds including fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of phytochemicals, they may have anti-carcinogenic effects. Evidences showed that the phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables modulate large numbers of cell signaling molecules linked with cancer. The modulation of signaling molecules controls the abnormal growth of cells and ultimately controls the growth of cancer. Also antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of natural compounds could hold promise for cancer chemoprevention because oxidative stress and chronic inflammation play important roles in cancer development.

This book is the culmination of the efforts of several researchers, scientists, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows across the world. In this book authors focused on the role of natural compounds in the prevention and therapy of various cancers. The book has enormous scope and will benefit multiple audience including researchers, clinicians, patients, academicians, industrialists, and students. The editors are also thankful to Bentham Publisher and their team members for the opportunity to publish this book. Lastly we thank our family members for their love, support, encouragement and patience during the entire period of this work.