ICONIC: an international task force supporting collaboration in nutrition and cancer globally

Abstract

Background: Cancer represents a major cause of mortality globally and by 2050 will be the major cause of ill health and death across the world, most particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). For forty years, there has been increasing recognition of the need to better understand how the modifiable factors related to diet, nutrition and physical activity can influence the risk of cancer, responses to treatment, and survival. Scope and approach: The International Collaboration on Nutrition in relation to Cancer (ICONIC) - a task force of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) - was established in 2018, as a development from the UK NIHR Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration and as a mechanism to bring together wider international expressions of interest in nutrition and cancer. Key findings: ICONIC has engaged in a range of activities, with a current focus of effort in three main areas: 1) building wider capability and stronger capacity for excellence in research and practice in Africa, with the longer-term ambition to develop a high quality, context-specific research programme in this region, 2) facilitating international collaboration and developing activities in the area of childhood cancers, and 3) developing an agenda for prehabilitation (personalised management of exercise, nutrition and psychological support before the start of definitive treatment) for cancer. Conclusions: ICONIC's ambition is to build an international nutrition and cancer community - spanning research, education and training, in clinical and public health practice – to create coherence and common language across the two communities, and promote improved care and outcomes for those affected by cancer.

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