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Post-diagnosis dietary factors and survival after invasive breast cancer

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Little is known about the effects of diet after breast cancer diagnosis on survival. We prospectively examined the relation between post-diagnosis dietary factors and breast cancer and all-cause survival in women with a history of invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 1987 and 1999 (at ages 20–79 years). Diet after breast cancer diagnosis was measured using a 126-item food frequency questionnaire. Among 4,441 women without a history of breast cancer recurrence prior to completing the questionnaire, 137 subsequently died from breast cancer within 7 years of enrollment. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for intake of macronutrients as well as selected micronutrients and food groups from Cox proportional hazards regression models. After adjustment for factors at diagnosis (age, state of residence, menopausal status, smoking, breast cancer stage, alcohol, history of hormone replacement therapy), interval between diagnosis and diet assessment, and at follow-up (energy intake, breast cancer treatment, body mass index, and physical activity), women in the highest compared to lowest quintile of intake of saturated fat and trans fat had a significantly higher risk of dying from any cause (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.06–1.87, P trend = 0.03) for saturated fat; (HR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.35–2.32, P trend = 0.01) for trans fat intake. Associations were similar, though did not achieve statistical significance, for breast cancer survival. This study suggests that lower intake of saturated and trans fat in the post-diagnosis diet is associated with improved survival after breast cancer diagnosis.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

CI:

Confidence interval

CWLS:

Collaborative Women’s Longevity Study

FFQ:

Food frequency questionnaire

HR:

Hazard ratio

MET:

Metabolic equivalent of task

NHS:

Nurses’ Health Study

WHEL:

Women’s Healthy Eating and Living

WINS:

Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (POP0504234) and the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Department of Health and Human Services (CA47147, CA47305, CA69664, and CA94880).

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, M4-B402, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA

    Jeannette M. Beasley, Polly A. Newcomb, Michael N. Passarelli & Crystal N. Holick

  2. University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, 53792, USA

    Polly A. Newcomb, Amy Trentham-Dietz, John M. Hampton & Andrew J. Bersch

  3. Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53726, USA

    Amy Trentham-Dietz

  4. Research Operations, Safety and Epidemiology, HealthCore, Inc., Wilmington, DE, 19801, USA

    Crystal N. Holick

  5. Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    Linda Titus-Ernstoff

  6. Risk Assessment, Detection & Intervention Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Kathleen M. Egan

  7. Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Michelle D. Holmes & Walter C. Willett

Authors
  1. Jeannette M. Beasley
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  2. Polly A. Newcomb
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  3. Amy Trentham-Dietz
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  4. John M. Hampton
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  5. Andrew J. Bersch
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  6. Michael N. Passarelli
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  7. Crystal N. Holick
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  8. Linda Titus-Ernstoff
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  9. Kathleen M. Egan
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  10. Michelle D. Holmes
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  11. Walter C. Willett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Polly A. Newcomb.

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Beasley, J.M., Newcomb, P.A., Trentham-Dietz, A. et al. Post-diagnosis dietary factors and survival after invasive breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 128, 229–236 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1323-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1323-z

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