Diet, nutrition, and genetic susceptibility.

On January 22-23, 1997, a workshop was held in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, MD), and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA). The purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum for the discussion of the interplay between diet, genes, and cancer risk. This is just part of the burgeoning area in epidemiology that is studying gene-environment interaction more generally; however, it was felt by the organizers that a workshop on genes and diet was warranted, because there is considerable research activity in this area, and because it offered the opportunity to define new directions. It was not intended to review the field in detail, but rather to consider, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, the future possibilities. Participants were asked to: (a) address issues surrounding the incorporation of genetic markers into epidemiological studies ofdiet and disease and (b) identify strengths and weaknesses in current research and gaps in understanding and propose new research strategies, tools, and hypotheses.