DENVER -- The world's top cancer researchers are presenting breakthrough findings in Denver this week, as part of the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting.

Some of the most interesting new studies involve food and its role in causing or preventing cancer.

"There's a lot of excitement about 'nutriceuticals', the use of nutrients to actually prevent and, in some cases, treat cancers," said Dr. Michael Caliguiri, the program chairman for the AACR's annual meeting.

For example, a new study being presented for the first time Tuesday shows that eating walnuts could reduce the risk of breast cancer.

"We didn't really expect this," said Dr. Elaine Hardman, with Marshall University. "But to look back, walnuts have high amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other components that independently have been shown to prevent cancers in a variety of models. If you put them together in one package -- in a walnut -- then we've got very good cancer suppression."

Hardman studies mice that were fed walnuts and mice that weren't and found the walnut-eating mice were 50 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, had fewer tumors and experienced slower tumor growth.

Another study being presented Tuesday shows that meat cooked at high temperatures to the point of burning may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

A study followed 62,000 people for nine years, tracking what they ate the entire time, and researchers concluded that those who ate high levels of charred meat had a significantly increased risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

"We think the evidence is really growing that you can reduce your risk by reducing consumption of charred meats," said Dr. Kristin Anderson with the University of Minnesota and the Masonic Cancer Center.