DIETARY CONSTITUENT CANCER MODULATION ANALYSIS SYSTEM

THE DIETARY CONSTITUENT-CANCER MODULATION ANALYSIS SYSTEM (DC-CMAS) PROVIDES MICROCOMPUTER-BASED, USER-FRIENDLY CAPABILITIES FOR DIETARY ASSESSMENT. DC-CMAS WILL CONTAIN FOOD CONSUMPTION DATA, CONSTITUENT DATA (ON NUTRIENTS, CONTAMINANTS, FOOD ADDITIVES, AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS), AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CONSTITUENTS, SUCH AS RECOMMENDED INTAKE LEVELS, METABOLIC ACTIVITIES, AND TOXICOLOGY SUMMARIES. PHASE I OBJECTIVES ARE TO (1) TRANSFER THE ENTIRE 1987-88 USDA NATIONWIDE FOOD CONSUMPTION SURVEY, INCLUDING EACH INDIVIDUAL'S DAILY INTAKE RECORDS, TO A MICROCOMPUTER; (2) UPDATE AND EXPAND NUTRIENT DATA SETS, ESPECIALLY THOSE RELEVANT TO CANCER-MODULATION PARAMETERS, FOOD PROCESSING AND SUPPLEMENTATION TECHNOLOGIES, AND NATURALLY OCCURRING FOOD CONSTITUENTS; AND (3) UPDATE SOFTWARE TO ACCOMMODATE NEW DATA. THESE ARE THE ESSENTIAL FIRST STEPS REQUIRED TOWARD CREATING A FULLY INTEGRATED CMAS. DC-CMAS WILL BE A VALUABLE NEW TOOL FOR QUANTIFYING THE DISTRIBUTION OF INTAKE WITHIN A POPULATION AND FOR PLACING THOSE ANALYSES IN A BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. DC-CMASWILL PROVIDE SCIENTISTS, FOOD DESIGNERS, AND REGULATORY OFFICIALS WITH A BETTER METHOD FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF NUTRIENT AND CONSTITUENT CHANGES ON THE POPULATION'S CANCER EVENT PROBABILITY. DC-CMAS WILL MAKE LARGE NATIONAL SURVEYSSUCH AS THE USDA NATIONWIDE FOOD CONSUMPTION SURVEY AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS WITHOUT REQUIRING COMPUTER BUDGETS AND SPECIALIZED COMPUTER PROGRAMMING EXPERTISE.