Some scientists say the findings of these new studies should not be considered the final word. Sprinkling fiber supplements on top of a high-fat diet may fail to work as effectively as changing one's diet overall, says Cheryl Rock, a cancer prevention specialist at the University of California in San Diego. Supplements may contain different ingredients than a diet of fruits and vegetables which contains fiber and other possible cancer-fighting ingredients, she adds. But critics like Rock say that those study participants did not rigorously adhere to the diet. But several experts are convinced these results provide firm evidence that fiber should be abandoned as a colon cancer cure-all.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
Around 130,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer annually. Those rates have been dropping, according to the American Cancer Society, largely because of better treatments and improved early detection. ABC News Internet Ventures.