A large study that included 48,835 women followed over 8 years indicates that a diet low in fat, but high in fruit, vegetables and grains, does not significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. These research findings are published, in the latest issue of JAMA.
Researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Ross L. Prentice, Ph.D., and colleagues examined the effect of a low-fat diet on the incidence of breast cancer over a period of eight years. This study included a dietary modifications consisting of consumption of a reduced amount of fat and of an increased amount of vegetables and fruits and grains. These women, who were aged 50 to 79 years, were randomly assigned to the dietary modification intervention group or the comparison group, who were not asked to make dietary modifications.
These women were followed up for a period of eight years. Overall, 35 percent of women in the intervention group and 3.66 percent women in the comparison group developed invasive breast cancer during follow-up period.
Researchers conclude that among postmenopausal women, a low-fat dietary pattern did not result in a statistically significant reduction in invasive breast cancer risk over a period of an 8-years after starting dietary modification.
However, this is not the end of argument regarding diet and breast cancer risk. Cancer specialists argue that these women may have started this low-fat diet too late in their life to derive any benefit. Average age of patients participated in the study was 62 years. The researchers also point out that these women did not reduce the intake of fat as much as the diet demanded. Most of these women remained overweight during the course of the study, a major risk factor for cancer and heart problems.. |
