World Cancer Research Fund An overview of our work

World Cancer Research Fund
An overview of our work
‘‘We believe the end of
cancer begins with research
and education. Science shows
that about a third of the most
common cancer cases can be
prevented through healthy diet
and lifestyle choices. We think
that’s a message worth sharing.’’
Marilyn Gentry, President
WCRF global network

Foreword
The purpose of this document is
to give our supporters an overview
of the different areas of our work.
Some aspects of our work may
already be familiar to you. We
hope that this document will not
only demonstrate the importance
of our work and how your kind
support is making a difference, but
also impart on some new areas
of our work and how we would like
to move forward in the future.
Who are we?
World Cancer Research Fund
(WCRF UK) is the principal UK
charity dedicated to the prevention
of cancer through research and
the promotion of healthy diet and
lifestyle and nutrition, physical
activity and weight management.
Science shows that about a third
of the twelve most common cancer
cases can be prevented through
healthy diet and lifestyle choices,
yet many people are unaware of
this fact or what they can do to
reduce their cancer risk. Improving
awareness and encouraging people
to adopt healthy lifestyles is
therefore crucial to people reducing
their chances of developing cancer.
WCRF UK was established in
1990 and has been committed
to funding scientific research
into the links between diet and
lifestyle and cancer prevention. Our
innovative scientific research work
is complemented by an extensive
public education programme,
which translates scientific data
into easy to understand messages
for health professionals, policy
makers, parents and children, as
well as the general population.
Why cancer prevention?
l According to a report by the
World Health Organization,
cancer is set to become the
world’s biggest killer by 2010.
l In the UK one in three people
will develop cancer at some
stage in their life and one
in four people will die from
the disease.
l If current trends continue
almost 13 million men and
women in the UK will be obese
by 2012 with obesity related
cancers accounting for
35 per cent of all cancers.
l Given the alarming number
of cases forecast in the future,
the financial burden on the NHS
as well as the wider economy
will be intolerable if we only
rely on treatment. Over £390
million is spent annually on
cancer research in the UK,
but only 4 per cent is directed
towards cancer prevention.

Second Expert Report:
Food, Nutrition,
Physical Activity, and the
Prevention of Cancer:
a Global Perspective.
In 2002 the Second Expert Report
was commissioned, five years
after our First Expert Report was
published in 1997. This unique
project funded by WCRF UK, together
with other members of the WCRF
global network, brought together
and evaluated all the relevant
research in the area over the past
60 years. Nine independent teams
of scientists from universities
and research centres around the
world identified 500,000 studies,
screened them down to 22,000 and
then identified 7,000 that met the
rigorous standards for inclusion in
the Report. An international panel
of eminent scientists in the field
then assessed these 7,000 studies
and drew conclusions about the
effect of diet and physical activity
on cancer risk. The Second Expert
Report was published in November
2007 and is the largest, most
comprehensive report of its kind
ever done, serving as the most
authoritative source of information
on cancer prevention through food,
nutrition and physical activity.
Second Expert Report: Food,
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and
the Prevention of Cancer:
a Global Perspective.
Continuous Update Programme
Following the publication of
the Second Expert Report the
Continuous Update Programme
(CUP) was established, to maintain
the world’s largest database on all
the evidence related to diet, physical
activity and cancer. Continuously
monitoring the research on cancer
prevention enables us to:
u Build on the body of data collated
during the second Expert Report,
thereby providing significant
cost savings.
u Review our messages on a
regular basis, thus ensuring they
are kept as up-to-date as possible.
u Enable researchers working in
the field of cancer prevention to
have access to the complete body
of work relevant to their field.
Currently a team of four
led by Dr Teresa Norat at
Imperial College London,
analyses and processes
the individual research
projects as they are
published. A rolling
programme has been set up whereby
cancers are gradually added to
the database. The database is
currently up-to-date for breast and
prostate cancer. Work is currently
ongoing adding new research data
on bowel cancer. It is envisaged
that it will take five years before the
database is fully updated and with
the predicted increase in research
this team will need to grow in order
to ensure that both aims and goals
continue to be achieved. Therefore
the need for ongoing funding is
expected to increase over time to
ensure this vital work progresses.
Overview 3

Scientific Research
The WCRF global network has
funded over £64 million of research
worldwide on the role of food,
nutrition, physical activity and
associated factors in the prevention
and treatment of cancer, supporting
almost 800 projects and involving
over 1,000 scientists from 23
countries. Each year WCRF UK’s
research grant programme funds
over £1million of new world-class
research studies, focusing on cancer
development and progression as
these relate to food, nutrition and
physical activity. A typical grant is
currently awarded for up to four years
at a maximum cost of £250,000
per approved application and may
be awarded to researchers from
anywhere in the world. We regularly
revise our research priorities to
ensure we remain at the forefront of
cancer prevention research. These
priorities help to encourage grant
applications in areas where more
research is needed and in 2007, we
introduced a ‘seed grant’ programme
to fund small start-up projects (at a
cost of no more than £40,000 for
a maximum of one year) that focus
on original and innovative studies,
allowing them to develop to a stage
where a full project could be carried
out. Our grant programme follows a
strict detailed review procedure to
ensure funding only goes to grants
that are of high quality and meet our
objectives and research priorities.
As WCRF UK continues to
consolidate its position at the
forefront of cancer prevention and
survivor research we are looking to
introduce a more directive ‘Request
For Applications’ (RFA) stream to our
current research grant programme.
This will involve research topics
that have been identified as being
of particular high priority in that
they investigate a specific research
question or hypothesis that needs to
be tested. Each RFA will be funded
up to £350,000 over a maximum
of three years, with the scheme
being piloted initially with one RFA.
Longer term, we plan to fund up
to three such studies each year.
WCRF International Academy
The WCRF International Academy
is a new educational initiative
that is currently being developed
following the launch of the
2007 Second Expert Report.
The main objective is to provide
educational materials and activities
for a broad range of audiences, from
scientists to the general public,
about the importance and impact
of diet, physical activity and weight
management in cancer prevention.
This will include creating links
and partnerships with relevant
and appropriate organisations in
addition to targeting key stakeholder
audiences with timely and relevant
information on diet and cancer.
Activities will vary from a one-day
workshop on a particular area
of diet, physical activity and
cancer through to more in depth
courses, including a two-week
International Course in Nutritional
Epidemiology at Imperial College
London and e-learning modules.

Policy and Action
for Cancer Prevention
Estimated percentage of cancers that could be prevented:
Cancer US UK Brazil China
Mouth, pharynx & larynx 63 67 63 44
Oesophagus 69 75 60 44
Lung 36 33 36 38
Stomach 47 45 41 33
Pancreas 39 41 34 14
Gallbladder 21 16 10 6
Bowel 45 43 37 17
Liver 15 17 6 6
Breast 38 42 28 20
Endometrium (womb) 70 56 52 34
Prostate 11 20 n/a n/a
Kidney 24 19 13 8
In February we launched our Policy
Report, ‘Policy and Action for
Cancer Prevention: Food, Nutrition,
and Physical Activity: a Global
Perspective.’ The overall purpose
of this Report is to help prevent
cancer by recommending rational
policies and effective actions at
all levels, involving all audiences
(e.g., government, schools,
businesses), to achieve the public
health goals in our Second Expert
Report. Through our work we know
that cancer is largely preventable.
This Policy Report is a call and
spur to action, which we hope
will be used by all audiences to
help reduce the number of people
affected by this terrible disease.
As well as looking at what society
can do to prevent cancer, as part
of this Report we commissioned a
piece of work looking at how much
cancer could be prevented through
diet, physical activity and weight
management. To do this we took the
Expert Report’s findings about how
much different patterns of diet and
physical activity affect risk of cancer
and then cross-referenced it against
dietary surveys in four different
countries: the US, UK (both highincome
countries), Brazil
(a middle-income country) and
China (a low-income country).
The study includes information on
the 12 cancers, related to food,
nutrition, body fatness and physical
activity, which were the subject of
the systematic review of all the
scientific publications included in
our 2007 Second Expert Report.
Education
Translating the findings of our
scientific research into practical
and informative publications is a
key part of our work. We are the
leading force in putting the findings
of cancer prevention research into
health guidelines that people can
easily understand and use in their
own lives. WCRF UK produces a
wide range of publications, from our
quarterly Newsletter, which reaches
over 220,000 families four times a
year, to cookbooks, booklets, health
aids and information leaflets.
A YouGov survey commissioned
by WCRF UK in November
2009 questioned 2,060
people, revealing that:
u 37 per cent of people were
unaware of the link between diet
and cancer even though there is
strong scientific evidence that
people can reduce their cancer
risk by eating a plant-based diet
and cutting down on their intake of
red and processed meat, alcohol,
salt, and high-calorie foods.
u 53 per cent of people were
unaware of the link between physical
activity and cancer despite evidence
showing that being physically
active can help protect against
a variety of cancers, including
bowel cancer, postmenopausal
breast and endometrial cancer.
u 40 per cent of people were
unaware that being overweight
increases risk of cancer, despite
scientists now saying that, after
not smoking, maintaining a healthy
weight is the most important thing
you can do for cancer prevention.
While there is still a long way to
go and more urgent work needed,
our education programmes play
a vital role in raising awareness
levels in the UK. Since the launch
of our Second Expert Report 59
per cent of people said they had
made a conscious effort to follow
our Recommendations according to
another YouGov survey conducted
in November 2008.
Overview 5

Targeting Health
Professionals
One of the ways we disseminate our
message to the general population
is through the education of health
professionals and their patients.
WCRF UK carries out this work by
publishing a free quarterly newsletter
called Informed, which is distributed
to more than 17,000 health
professionals. This publication
gives health professionals practical
ways to encourage patients to
adopt healthy lifestyles, as well
as articles presenting scientific
information based on innovative
research. In a recent survey carried
out in Spring 2009, nearly 80 per
cent of respondents said that they
pass their copy of Informed on
to at least one colleague making
it a cost-effective publication.
94 per cent said the newsletter
had helped them gain a better
understanding of the role diet and
lifestyle play in cancer prevention.
WCRF UK now has expanded the
health professionals’ section of our
website with a new online resource
section where health professionals
DIET
The choices you make about food, physical activity and weight
management can reduce your chances of developing cancer
– choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid
processed meat
– be physica ly active every day in any way for 30 minutes or more
– aim to be a healthy weight throughout life
choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid processed meat
And, always remember – do not smoke or chew tobacco
WCRF UK Guidelines for Cancer Prevention
aim to be a healthy weight throughout life
WEIGHT
CANCER
PREVENTION
PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
be physically active every day in any way for 30 minutes or more
Staying lean
for CANCEr PrEvENtioN
WCRF UK's Weight Guideline
can download resources free
of charge, many of which were
recently commended in the Patient
Information Awards by the British
Medical Association. The resource
page of the health professionals’
web section is growing and now
includes free downloadable
meal planners, food diaries and
cancer survivors’ fact-sheets.
At the beginning of August 2009 our
first WCRF UK health professionals
e-newsletter was sent to over 700
health professionals. This has been
received very well with a sharp
increase in the number of people
viewing the health professionals’
web section with the hot topics and
Informed newsletter sections being
the most popular. The e-newsletter,
which includes news on diet, lifestyle
and cancer prevention and updates
on statistics, programmes and
publications for health professionals
will be sent approximately every
1-2 months. Recently the number
of health professionals receiving
it has increased to 1,300 and in
time we hope to further increase
this number, as this is a very
affordable way to deliver WCRF
UK’s cancer prevention message.
Conferences
Attending conferences and events
is also a vital part of our education
work, giving us the opportunity
to raise awareness of our cancer
prevention message among new
audiences and to update health
professionals with the latest
developments in cancer prevention.
In autumn 2009, WCRF UK exhibited
at the TES (The Times Educational
Supplement) conference, which
was held at London Olympia and
the Community Practitioners’ and
Health Visitors’ Association (CPHVA)
conference in Southport. This is
a new audience we are trying to
engage with our message in order to
help parents ensure they and their
children enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
We had a small stand at the Royal
College of General Practitioners
(RCGP) conference in Glasgow
and also exhibited at the first ever
Health and Wellbeing in Education
conference at the NEC, Birmingham,
which brought together healthcare
and education professionals working
to improve the health and wellbeing
of children and young people.
WCRF UK exhibits at several
other major conferences each
year including: Primary Care, and
Nursing in Practice, however,
we would like to further extend
our reach to exhibit at smaller
conferences in more locations
around the country to educate health
professionals about our work.
breast awareness check card
what is breast awareness?
breast awareness means being familiar with the norma look and
feel of your breasts so that you, or your partner, are able to spot
any abnormalities early on.
You don't have to follow a special routine. Just be aware of what
is normal by looking at and feeling your breasts regularly – for
example, when in the shower or when getting dressed. some women
find it easier to check their breasts when they are lying down.
what changes should I look out for?
It's importan to be aware of any changes, such as:
u a change in the size or shape of your breast.
u change a in skin texture, such as puckering or dimpling, or
rash around your nipple.
u d ischarge from one or both nipples, or if your nipple b
pulled in (inverted) or changes position or shape.
u continuous pain in one part of your breast or arm
u new a lump or thickening in your breast or armp
that breasts can be quite lumpy, especially j
what should I do if there
If you notice anything different, make
GP as soon as you can.
nhs breast aware
1. know what is norma
2. Look and feel
3. know what cha
4. report any
5. attend b
Breast Shower 2007 Final.in

Reaching out to children
and young people
Healthy eating has become a hot
topic in the media with several
awareness-raising campaigns,
including WCRF UK’s Fruity Friday
and the Department of Health’s
Change4Life, of which WCRF UK
is an official partner, serving to
educate the public about the
importance of eating healthily.
WCRF UK educates young children
and their parents about the benefits
of leading a healthy lifestyle through
our Great Grub Club (GGC), which
reaches children aged 4-7. Members
receive a GGC magazine four
times a year and an introductory
pack that includes our Passport to
Good Health information booklet,
which was Highly Commended in
the British Medical Association’s
Patient Information Awards.
Feedback shows that 84% of
parents felt the project definitely
had a positive effect on the food
that their children choose to eat or
their enjoyment of physical activity.
In 2006, we also began developing
an interactive website based on our
GGC concept (www.greatgrubclub.
com). This was launched in May
2007 and, to date, the website
has received over 200,000 hits
confirming its success in extending
the project’s reach to many children.
WCRF UK is now extending the GGC
into schools in order to reach many
more children. We have developed
a For Teachers section on the GGC
website which provides a practical,
interactive tool to promote healthy
eating in the classroom. In the UK
there are about 230,000 primary
school teachers, the majority
of whom use computers and
interactive whiteboards in lessons.
Therefore, using a website-based
approach to this health education
work has the potential to reach
an enormous number of children
with healthy eating messages.
Future Developments
The majority of GGC members, who
were of the target age of 4-7 when
they joined, have now surpassed this
age and in October 2009 received
a special graduation pack. WCRF
UK is encouraging those who have
received the graduation pack to visit
the GGC interactive website, the
audience of which we are planning
to expand in the near future to
include all primary school-aged
children between 4-11 years old.
WCRF UK is also looking to actively
recruit new members who are
between 4-7 years old from identified
disadvantaged areas of England
where we hope to establish the
GGC as the focus of the Children’s
Education Programme’s outreach
work. Children and families living
in deprived areas have a higher
prevalence of being overweight and
obese and therefore are at a higher
risk of developing cancer later in life.
Outreach ventures
There are many more ways we
can work to educate communities
and groups about the links
between diet, physical activity,
weight and cancer risk.
WCRF UK is currently piloting a
workplace health project, following
the recommendations from our
recent Policy Report which aims to
raise awareness in both employers
and employees. Other outreach
ventures we would like to consider
in the future include WCRF UK
staff giving community talks to
introduce the GGC in deprived
areas such as Tower Hamlets and
Hackney in London. If these prove
to be effective ways of reaching
and engaging people with our
life-saving message, it could lead
to us developing our strategic
plans in the future to further
enhance our outreach work.
Overview 7

Helping us
to prevent cancer
Thank you for taking time to read
this document, WCRF UK is very
grateful for your support.
Our life-saving work aims to ensure
that as many people as possible
are aware of the ways that
they can help prevent cancer in
future years. Together we still
have much to achieve, however,
thanks to people like you we are
making real progress.
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF UK)
22 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HH Tel: 020 7343 4200
Website: www.wcrf-uk.org Email: development@wcrf.org
Registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales (Registered Charity No: 1000739)
© 2009 World Cancer Research Fund / WETCD9