Cancer, Nutrition, and Eating Behavior: A Biobehavioral Perspective

The majority of cancer-related deaths are associated with nutritional problems. The major role that nutrition and diet play in the development and course of cancer had only been recently appreciated, and relatively little had been written on the topic in general. A critical component of nutrition and diet is eating behavior. Originally published in 1985, the purpose of this book was to meet the needs of both the clinician and the researcher by bringing together data and theory about nutrition and cancer from several disciplines, as considered from a biobehavioral perspective.

The first chapter of the book provides an overview of the purposes and organization of the volume. The rest is divided into 3 parts. Part 1 focuses on basic research concerned with the nature and development of taste aversions and taste preferences in human and animals. Part 2 applies the basic processes reviews in the first part to the cancer area, focusing on eating and nutritional problems related to both tumor development and to learned processes that develop as a result of being exposed to radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments. Part 3 focuses on identifying and evaluating intervention strategies for improving the nutritional status of people with cancer or at high risk for developing cancer.

Table of Contents:

Preface.  1. Cancer, Nutrition, and Eating Behavior: Introduction and Overview Beth E. Meyerowitz, Thomas G. Burish and Sandra M. Levy  Part 1: Basic Processes in Taste Aversions and Eating Behavior  2. X-Rays and Learned Taste Aversions: Historical and Psychological Ramifications Rodrigo Garcia y Robertson and John Garcia  3. Specific Taste Preferences: An Alternative Explanation for Eating Changes in Cancer Patients Neil E. Grunberg  Part 2: Taste Aversions and Eating Behavior in Cancer  4. Learned Food Aversions and Tumor Anorexia Ilene L. Bernstein and Charles M. Treneer  5. Radiation-Induced Taste Aversions in Rats and Humans James C. Smith, Judith T. Blumsack and F. S. Bilek  6. Learned Food Aversions: A Consequence of Cancer Chemotherapy Ilene L. Bernstein and Mary M. Webster  7. Aversive Conditioning and Cancer Chemotherapy William H. Redd, Thomas G. Burish and Michael A. Andrykowski  Part 3: Improving the Nutritional Status of Cancer Patients and High-Risk Populations  8. Nutritional Problems in Cancer Patients: Overview and Perspective William DeWys  9. Dietary Intervention in Cancer Prevention Trials and Clinical Practice: Some Methodological Issues Elizabeth Bright-See and Sandra M. Levy  10. Diet and Breast Disease: Evidence for the Feasibility of a Clinical Trial Involving a Major Reduction in Dietary Fat N. F. Boyd, M. L. Cousins. S. E. Bayliss, E. B. Fish, E. Fishnell and W. R. Bruce  11. The Influence of Nutritional Intervention on the Outcome of Cancer Treatment Arthur S. Levine  12. Conditioned Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Chemotherapy: Treatment Approaches Thomas G. Burish, William H. Redd and Michael P. Carey.  Author Index.  Subject Index.