Your role in breast-cancer prevention

Breast cancer is a disease most women will think about more than once in their lifetime. You know or know of someone who has had or is being affected by this disease. As a woman you wonder if you will be affected and if there is anything you can do to reduce your risk.

This disease is very complex and there is ongoing research into prevention and treatment.

There are some risk factors over which we have no control, such as being a woman which makes our risk higher than that of a man because of the role of the hormone oestrogen, and genetics, as women with a family history of breast cancer are more likely to get the disease.

There are other lifestyle factors which we do have control over. These factors will not absolutely protect us from getting breast cancer, but can reduce our risks. Many of these factors also reduce our risk of getting other diseases, and are, therefore, worth investing in them.

Factors relating to diet

There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption of more than one drink per day increases the risk of breast cancer in women, and women with a strong family history are advised to avoid alcohol consumption.

Consume a healthy diet to prevent weight gain, as overweight and obesity are shown to be risk factors for breast cancer. A long-term Harvard study of almost 50,000 women, found that women who gained 55 or more pounds after age 18 had an increased risk of 1.5 times for having breast cancer than women who maintained a healthy weight. It also found that women who lowered their weight after menopause by 22 pounds reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 57 per cent.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially richly coloured ones which are rich in phytochemicals and other antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C, E, and carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lycopene, can protect cell damage. The same recommendation is not given for supplements of these nutrients. Although they protect cells, there is no strong evidence to indicate that they prevent breast cancer or its recurrence.

The evidence on a high fat diet is mixed. Results of the Women's Health Initiative Study of dietary fat and breast cancer, shows no definite evidence for a low-fat diet preventing breast cancer. Recommendations were, however, made to women who consume a high-fat diet that there may be benefits in reducing their fat intake.

There is some evidence that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D may provide some slight benefit in prevention of breast cancer for pre-menopausal women.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.