Abstract
Objectives
To develop a standardized AICR/WCRF Score that measures adherence to the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and provide guidance for its application in research.
Methods
Each of the updated 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and the associated goals and statements of advice were examined to inform the definition of a new Score. For each of the weight, physical activity, diet, and breastfeeding-specific recommendations, components and subcomponents were created. Standards for scoring each component were established based on quantitative guidance specified in the recommendations; however, if no specificity was provided, other guidelines (e.g., national guidelines), past research that operationalized 2007 WCRF/AICR recommendations, and expert panel advice were evaluated.
Results
The proposed AICR/WCRF Score includes eight of the ten WCRF/AICR 2018 recommendations: 1) Be a healthy weight, 2) Be physically active, 3) Eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, 4) Limit consumption of fast foods and other processed foods high in fat, starches, or sugars, 5) Limit consumption of red and processed meats, 6) Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, 7) Limit alcohol consumption, and, optionally, 8) For mothers: breastfeed your baby, if you can. Each of the components are worth one point: 1, 0.5, and 0 points for fully, partially, and not meeting the recommendations, respectively (total Score: 0–7 or 8 points). Two recommendations were not included in the Score due to uncertain intent of supplement use (Do not use supplements for cancer prevention) and the redundancy of the dependent components in the final recommendation (After a cancer diagnosis: follow our Recommendations, if you can). Additional guidance will stress the importance of taking into account other risk factors, such as smoking, in relevant models using the new Score.
Conclusions
The AICR/WCRF Score is a practical tool operationalizing the 2018 recommendations. Future studies are needed to further examine how adherence to the Score relates to cancer risk and mortality in various populations.
Funding Sources
None.