The dietary intake of fruit, vegetables and related nutrients was assessed
in 297 premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer, and compared with
controls. The women with the highest consumption of vegetables had less than
half the rate of breast cancer compared with those eating the least
vegetables. Freudenheim JL, Marshall JR, Vena JE et al: Premenopausal
breast cancer risk and intake of vegetables, fruits, and related nutrients. J
Natl Cancer Inst 88 (6):340-8, 1996.
Of 5,004 Guernsey women whose plasma samples were stored for a prospective
study, 39 later developed breast cancer. Their levels of vitamin A,
beta-carotene and vitamin E were measured in the stored samples and compared
with those of 39 women from the same group who had not developed breast. It
was found that those with the lowest vitamin E levels were five times more
likely to develop breast cancer than those with the highest levels. Wald NJ et
al: Plasma retinol, beta-carotene and vitamin E levels in relation to the
future risk of breast cancer. Br J Cancer 49(3):321-4, 1984.
Organochlorine pesticide levels were measured in serum from the stored
blood specimens of 14,290 women. Mean levels of DDE and PCBs were higher for
breast cancer patients than for others. The investigators conclude that
environmental contamination with organochlorine residues may be an important
factor in the development of breast cancer. Wolff S et al: Blood levels of
organochlorines and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:648-652,
1993.
A study of dietary factors in 133 breast cancer cases and 289 controls
concluded that a low intake of fat and a high intake of dietary fibre and
fermented milk products may provide substantial protection against breast
cancer. Van 't Veer P et al: Combination of dietary factors in relation to
breast-cancer occurrence. Int J Cancer 47(5):649-53, 1991.
Evidence has accumulated for over three decades associating avoidable
exposure to environmental and occupational cancer-causing chemicals to the
escalating rate of breast cancer in the western world. Epstein SS:
Environmental and occupational pollutants are avoidable causes of breast
cancer. Int J Hlth Serv 24(1):145-50, 1994.
Evidence on the risks of breast cancer imposed by silicone implants has
been withheld from the public by industry and plastic surgeons. Implanted
women should be given a medical alert. Epstein SS: Implants pose poorly
recognized risks of breast cancer. Int J Occup Med Toxicol 4(3):315-42, 1995.
Fatty acids in breast tissue were analysed in breast cancer patients and
controls. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer were found to have
significantly lower levels of DHA (produced from fish oils). It is concluded
that oily fish consumption may be protective against breast cancer in older
women. Zhu ZR et al: Fatty acid composition of breast adipose tissue in breast
cancer patients and in patients with benign breast disease. Nutr Cancer
24(2):151-60, 1995.
A study using data from 66 countries to identify the most important
predictors of breast cancer found that death due to breast cancer was most
strongly associated with the consumption of large amounts of meat and animal
products. Hebert JR et al: Nutritional, socioeconomic, and reproductive
factors in relation to female breast cancer mortality: findings from a
cross-national study. Cancer Detect Prev 20(3):234-44, 1996.
The risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women using hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) was evaluated by asking study participants to
complete questionnaires regularly updating information on their menopausal
status, use of HRT, and any diagnosis of breast cancer. During 725,550
person-years of follow-up, 1,935 cases of newly diagnosed breast cancer were
documented. The risk was found to be significantly higher among women
currently using oestrogen alone or oestrogen plus progestin, compared with
those who had never used hormones. The risk was particularly increased in
women who had taken the hormone treatments for more than 5 years, and were
aged over 60. Colditz GA et al: The use of estrogens and progestins and the
risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. N Engl J Med
332(24):1589-1593, 1995.
Of 32 patients with high risk breast cancer treated with high-dose
antioxidants, fatty acids and coenzyme Q10, six showed partial tumour
regression. Of these six, two were given additional coenzyme Q10 and experienced
complete disappearance of their tumours. Lockwood K et al: Partial and
complete regression of breast cancer in patients in relation to dosage of
coenzyme Q10. Biochem Biophys Res Commun: 199(3):1504-8, 1994.
Of 32 patients with breast cancer spread to the lymph nodes, and given large
daily doses of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, essential fatty acids
and coenzyme Q10, six showed apparent partial remission, none developed signs of
further distant metastases over an 18 month period, and although the expected
death rate was four, none died during this period. Lockwood K et al: Apparent
partial remission of breast cancer in "high risk" patients
supplemented with nutritional antioxidants, essential fatty acids and coenzyme
Q10. Mol Aspects Med 15s:s231-s240, 1994
Three breast cancer patients with advanced disease underwent conventional
treatments supplemented by a daily oral dose of 390 mg coenzyme Q10. Numerous
metastases in the liver of one patient disappeared, and no signs of metastases
were found elsewhere. The other two patients also became and remained free of
all cancer signs. Lockwood K et al: Progress on therapy of breast cancer with
vitamin Q10 and the regression of metastases. Biochem Biophys Res Commun
212(1):172-7, 1995
Of 17 patients with mammary dysplasia (pre-cancerous condition of the
breast), administered 600 iu vitamin E per day, 88 per cent showed a clinical
response, and abnormal progesterone/oestradiol ratios were normalized. London
RS et al: Endocrine parameters and alpha-tocopherol therapy of patients with
mammary dysplasia. Cancer Res 41(9 Pt 2):3811-3, 1981.
14 patients who were not responding to tamoxifen were given 20 mg per day of
the antioxidant substance melatonin. A partial response was observed in 4
patients. Mean serum levels of insulin-like growth factor were significantly
reduced.Lissoni P et al: Moducation of cancer endocrine therapy by melatonin: a
phase II study of tamoxifen plus melatonin in metastatic breast cancer patients
progressing under tamoxifen alone. Br J Cancer 71(4):854-6, 1995.
Studies have shown that a higher intake of dietary fibre and complex
carbohydrates is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. This may be
because (1) A high-fibre diet can reduce circulating oestrogen levels (2) Many
plant foods contain plant oestrogens, which compete within the body for binding
sites with oestradiol (3) A high-fibre diet is associated with lesser obesity, a
condition which encourages biologically active varieties of oestrogen (4) A high
fibre diet usually has a lower content of fat and a higher content of
antioxidant vitamins, which may be protective against breast cancer (5) Fibre-rich
diets improve insulin sensitivity, which may also reduce circulating oestrogen
levels. Stoll BA: Can supplementary dietary fibre suppress breast cancer growth?
Br J Cancer 73(5):557-9, 1996.
12 healthy premenopausal women given a very low fat, high-fibre diet for 2
months experienced significant reductions in serum oestrone and oestradiol
(highly active forms of oestrogen) levels without affecting ovulation,
suggesting that this type of diet may be protective against breast cancer. Bagga
D et al: Effects of a very low fat, high fibre diet on serum hormones and
menstrual function. Implications for breast cancer prevention. Cancer
76(12):2491-6, 1995.
