Transforming cancer prevention and care
Building bridges between nutrition and cancer communities.
Every day in the UK, over 1,100 people hear the words “you have cancer”. Yet around 40 per cent of these cases could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes – particularly healthy eating and being physically active.
While our understanding of how nutrition and physical activity impact cancer prevention and survivorship grows stronger each year, translating this knowledge into public health action remains our collective challenge.
Why partnership matters
World Cancer Research Fund and NIHR Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration are working together to build stronger connections between nutrition and cancer communities. Our aim is to improve prevention, care and survivorship through coordinated action across research, policy and clinical practice.
We are creating a UK-wide network including:
- Healthcare professionals
- Academics
- Researchers
- Policymakers
- Charities and community leaders
Nutrition and physical activity are vital to cancer prevention and survivorship. Currently, there are many challenges to integrating these elements into patient care. We need to find more ways to provide evidence-based patient information on nutrition, improve knowledge and practice among healthcare professionals, and foster collaboration between UK-based organisations interested in cancer, nutrition and physical activity.
Our priorities
1. Workforce development
Collaborating on innovations in workforce development, including CPD-accredited training for future health professionals and medics. Our work is bringing nutrition and cancer learning into undergraduate medical curriculum – starting with the universities of Lincoln and Southampton and supported by clinical experts.
2. Broadening evidence-based support
Sharing our resources with more clinical experts and healthcare professionals. Our Cancer and Nutrition Helpline is now supporting Royal Marsden dietetic appointments – providing relief for patients facing long wait times.
3. Building genuine partnerships
Developing sustainable partnerships across NHS services, charities, and community organisations, that respect clinical workflows and ensure consistent, evidence-based messaging. Forging better working relationships among professional groups and the cancer and nutrition communities while advocating for increasing nutrition workforce capacity and better nutritional education within the NHS.
An opportunity for change
The UK healthcare system excels in so many areas of cancer treatment, but there is untapped potential in cancer prevention and survivorship. This provides a real opportunity to improve outcomes by focusing on long-term wellbeing as well as treatment.
We know that many healthcare professionals want more confidence, training and time to address nutrition and lifestyle issues with their patients. At the same time, patients and families often seek trustworthy advice but struggle to find it when they need it most.
Why collaborate?
A more integrated approach offers significant benefits for everyone involved:
- Healthcare professionals gain practical tools and training to support patients holistically
- Patients receive more comprehensive care that addresses both treatment and lifestyle factors
- Healthcare systems can invest in smarter, sustainable prevention strategies
- Communities are empowered by coordinated approaches that make healthy choices easier
Join us in partnership
Together, we have the chance to shape the future of cancer care by placing nutrition and physical activity alongside other evidence-based interventions. Momentum is growing.
Your expertise and insights are essential to making change happen. Whether you work in healthcare, policy, academia, research or the third sector we invite you to collaborate with us.
We will each process your personal data in line with our respective Privacy Notices – WCRF Privacy Notice and UHSFT Privacy Notice (for the NIHR Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration) – and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Privacy notice
World Cancer Research Fund will use your data only to provide package resources, regular updates, and for the administration of the free cancer prevention package. For information about how World Cancer Research Fund processes your data please refer to our Privacy notice. We won’t share your details with other organisations for their own marketing purposes, we’ll keep your details safe and will only use them in accordance with our Privacy notice.
Need to update your preferences?
If you wish to change your contact preferences, contact us at:
Email: publichealth@wcrf.org
Address: World Cancer Research Fund, 140 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9FW
More useful links
Preventing cancer. Saving lives
While society continues to search for a cure, our prevention and survival work helps people to live longer, healthier lives – free from the devastating effects of cancer.