Evidence is mounting that healthy dietary patterns might be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
Using data from prospective Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study that involved 20,967 women and followed for 14.1 years, researchers analyzed 124 foods and beverages to identify dietary patterns and estimated their association with breast cancer risk and by tumor type.
Researchers found that high consumption of fruit and salad was associated with a reduced risk with breast cancer.
Compared with women in the lowest quintile of fruit and salad consumption, women who were in the highest quintile of fruit and salad consumption had 52% lower risk of developing ER-negative and PR-negative tumors.
The relationship was weaker between consumption of fruit and salad and the development of estrogen(ER)-positive and progesterone (PR)-positive tumors. Nonetheless, women who consumed large quantity of fruit and salad also have an 8% reduction in the risk of developing ER-positive or PR-positive tumor.
This study provides additional evidence that a diet rich in fruit and salad might protect against invasive breast cancer and that the effect might be stronger for ER- and PR negative tumors.
Source: British Journal of Cancer (2011) 104, 524-531
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