Diet and Digestive Tract Cancers: Investigating the Nutritional Influences on Gastrointestinal Carcinogenesis
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editors
2. Director of the Postgraduate Program on Nutrition and Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Zaragoza, 22002 Huesca, Spain
3. Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: nutritional management; nutritional support; motility disorders; malabsorption; inflammatory bowel disease; celiac disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: NSAIDs; aspirin; gastrointestinal bleeding; colon cancer; Barrett's esophagus
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The incidence of gastrointestinal cancer, and in particular early-onset cancer (gastrointestinal cancers in individuals younger than 50 years), is of great concern to both the scientific community and the systems responsible for funding healthcare. In descending order, the most common gastrointestinal tumors worldwide are colon cancer (54.3%), stomach cancer (23.8%), esophageal cancer (13.2%), and pancreatic cancer (8.6%). Although genetic factors play an essential role in carcinogenesis, there is no doubt that environmental factors play a critical role in the pathogenesis of digestive cancer. Among these, it is necessary to highlight those negatively influencing the intestinal epithelial barrier by increasing its permeability. Such is the case with some potentially modifiable environmental factors, as obesity, vitamin D deficiency, a sedentary lifestyle, harmful use of tobacco and alcohol, Western dietary patterns (e.g., excessive consumption of red meat, unhealthy food additives, sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods, and low intake of fruits, vegetables and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids with proven trophic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties on colonocytes). Scientists and researchers interested in this topic are invited to contribute to this Special Issue in order to enhance the knowledge of physicians, researchers, and dietitians about how a healthy diet and lifestyle can help minimize this serious problem.
This Special Issue offers the opportunity to acquire advanced knowledge about the impact of diet and its components, as well as lifestyle, on the carcinogenesis of some of the most common tumors and precancerous lesions in the digestive tract. Topics of interest include the following:
- Oropharyngeal carcinoma;
- Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus;
- Gastric cancer as a complication of chronic atrophic gastritis (pernicious anemia);
- Malignancy and celiac disease;
- Ultra-processed foods, gut microbiota, and inflammatory bowel disease;
- Pancreatic tumor;
- Influence of environmental factors on hepatocarcinogenesis;
- Neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive tract;
- Colorectal cancer.
Prof. Dr. Miguel Montoro
Prof. Dr. Ángel Lanas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- gastrointestinal cancer
- colon cancer
- stomach cancer
- esophageal cancer
- pancreatic cancer
- dietary patterns
- vitamin D deficiency
- ultra-processed foods
- sweetened beverages
- nutrition
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