The Influence of Nutritional and Lifestyle Factors on Glioma Incidence

Abstract

Cancers are the first main cause of premature death in developed countries. Since brain tumors, especially gliomas, are the most lethal type of cancers, risk factors for their prevalence are still being discussed. Nearly 30–50% of all cancers could be prevented by proper nutritional habits and other lifestyle factors, but their influence on the tumors of the central nervous system has not been explained completely and still requires further studies. That is why we attempted to review the available research in this field, with a special focus on the factors with the proven protective activity observed in other cancers. Adequate vegetables and antioxidants (such as vitamins C and A) provided with a diet could have a protective effect, while other factors have shown no correlation with the incidence of glioma. However, further studies are necessary to determine whether fish, coffee, and tea consumption may prevent glioma. Maintaining proper body weight and undertaking a sufficient level of daily physical activity also seem to be important. Excessive body mass index (BMI) and higher attained height have increased the risk of glioma. In order to link more accurately the chosen factors to the prevalence of gliomas, it seems necessary to conduct large cohort, prospective, controlled studies in different world regions.

Dietary Factors and Risk of Glioma in Adults: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

“…Inappropriate dietary habits such as long-term consumption of processed meats (grilled, smoked, cured red, and white meats) and insufficient intakes of vegetables and fruits are thought to be a risk factor for most human cancer, and glioma is no exception ( 6 ). Currently, a few studies that investigate dietary-assisted glioma therapy have found mostly positive effects ( 7 , 8 ).…”

A combined healthy lifestyle score in relation to glioma: a case-control study

“…However, in this report, there were some evidences of heterogeneity of results by study or sex [ 47 ]. Despite the role of genetic factors in the initiation and progression of glioma, it seems that several modifiable environmental factors are also involved in its incidence [ 11 ]. For instance, adherence to an anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory diet might influence the risk of glioma [ 9 ].…”

“…The modern researches represented the increasing efficacy of micronutrients through their synergistic interactions. Such interaction of nutrients displays pleiotropic effects against glioma [ 10 , 11 ]. They simultaneously affect different mechanisms involved in malignancy initial results indicating enhanced anticancer efficacy.…”

Targeting long non-coding RNA PVT1/TGF-β/Smad by p53 prevents glioma progression

“… 2 Glioma can be caused by genetic and environmental factors as well as improper lifestyles, such as inherited mutations, and ionizing radiation. 3 Current treatment for glioma includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and drug-targeted therapies. 4 However, there are still high rates of mortality and recurrence, and fatal prognosis.…”