American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)

DEFINITION: The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a private charity that sponsors research into the relationship between diet and cancer and works to disseminate findings about that relationship.

History: Before the 1980s, most cancer research was focused on the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Many scientists believed that cancer operated like a virus that affected cell metabolism, and they focused on early intervention and chemotherapy as their main strategies. The AICR was established in 1982 around the principle that cancer is preventable and that the disease is not random but is affected by lifestyle choices. At the time of its founding, this principle was not widely accepted. Later that same year, however, the National Academy of Sciences published a report entitled Diet, Nutrition, and Cancer, and this document became the initial basis for the AICR’s cancer education program.

In 1997, the AICR collaborated with the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), based in the United Kingdom, to publish a 670-page report called Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. The report was the work of sixteen scientists from eight countries, who spent three years reviewing studies on diet and cancer. It was developed with participation from experts at the National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization and was peer-reviewed. The report indicated that between 30 and 40 percent of all cancers could be directly linked to lifestyle choices such as food, drink, exercise, and overall health. The AICR produced more than 30,000 copies of the report and freely distributed it to cancer researchers and politicians. In 1999, the AICR published Stopping Cancer Before It Starts, a book that brought the message of the report to the public.

The AICR began to expand more rapidly after the publication of these works. Private donations, the primary source of funding for the organization, increased both in number and size. Since its founding, the AICR had contributed more than $110 million to research projects.

Educating the public: Spreading the message that people can lower their risk of cancer is a major part of the AICR’s program. In 2022, approximately 48 percent of the organization’s annual expenditures, went to educational activities. One of the ways the AICR fulfills its mission is through a free quarterly newsletter, which the AICR sent to more than 1.1 million homes in 2022. The newsletter provides meal-planning suggestions, recipes, and basic nutritional health information. The organization also produces brochures, covering a wide array of topics within the subject of nutrition and cancer.

The AICR has also produced public service announcements, which have been carried by hundreds of television stations across the United States. Newspapers and magazines have also been a resource for the AICR. The organization also maintains a website and a national nutrition hotline to provide more in-depth information about ways that people can reduce their risk of cancer. The institute also hosts educational seminars and an annual conference. These educational seminars are offered free of charge and presented by registered dieticians.

Research grants: The AICR works to contribute funding to scientists in the field of cancer research who focus on the connection between cancer and diet. In 2022, about 17 percent of expenditures went to funding proposed research. To decide which proposals to fund, the institute follows a set of grant review process standards, established by the National Cancer Institute. Proposals are reviewed by a panel of experts on the basis of scientific merit. Final decisions about funding are made by the AICR Board of Directors.

The AICR Investigator Initiated Grants Program awards up to $75,000 per year for up to two years to be used for research into either diet and cancer or physical activity and cancer. The AICR Post Doctoral Awards Program is intended for less established researchers and provides up to $38,000 per year for up to two years. The AICR also provides matching funds grants. The institute also supports the Marilyn Gentry Fellowship Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition. The fellowship is named after AICR president Marilyn Gentry and is intended to support researchers as they transition from postdoctoral work into assistant professorships.

As the twenty-first century progressed, the AICR remained committed to funding research and providing grants. They continued with community outreach in an effort to educate Americans regarding the alarming effects of unhealthy lifestyle choices on the development of cancer. The AICR also began hosting the Lifestyle and Cancer Symposium as a platform to share recent cancer research and findings with the American public.

Bibliography

“AICR Mission.” American Institute for Cancer Research, www.aicr.org/impact/mission. Accessed 11 June 2024.

American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet and Health Recommendations for Cancer Prevention: Healthy Living and Lower Cancer Risk. Washington, D.C.: Author, 2006.

American Institute for Cancer Research. The New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.

“Financial Information Disclosure.” American Institute for Cancer Research, www.aicr.org/financial-information/financial-information-disclosure. Accessed 11 June 2024.

Pillai, M. Radhakrishna, V. Oommen, and Sudhakaran Perumana. Perspectives in Cancer Prevention—Translation Cancer Research. New Delhi: Springer, 2014.

Weldon, Glen, ed. Dietary Options for Cancer Survivors: A Guide to Research on Foods, Food Substances, Herbals, and Dietary Regimens That May Influence Cancer. Washington, D.C.: American Institute for Cancer Research, 2002.