FURAN: A FOOD-BORNE FLAVOR CARCINOGEN

摘要

Cancer, the generic name for a group of diseases which can happen at various parts of body, is characterized by uncontrolled rapid reproduction of abnormal cells. As the leading cause of death over the world, WHO estimates continuing growth of deaths from cancer which could be projected to 12 million in 2030. Although not fully understood, the causes of cancer can be divided into either internal genetic defects or external environmental influences. Studies on the incidence of chronic diseases between the twins and among the migrants suggest that lifestyle and environmental factors account for 90-95% of most chronic illnesses including cancer (Figure 1). In this sense, cancer is mostly preventable via avoiding the harmful environmental factors such as tobacco, unhealthy diet, alcohol and infectious organisms. The potential effects of diet on cancer incidence were revealed by observations conducted in countries with different dietary habits and it is noted that carcinogens are either derived from food itself, food additives or produced from processing and cooking. Epidemiological studies and exposure assessment are still needed to help explore these carcinogens' potential on human cancer risk and research on source identification and mitigation approach is of significance.