One in eight women will have breast cancer at some time in their lives, the American Cancer Society estimates. Excluding cancers of the skin, it is the most common cancer among women, accounting for more than one in four cases. The greatest risk factors are being female, getting older and having close relatives who have had breast cancer — all factors over which a woman has no control.
There is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, but there are strategies a woman can control that may reduce her risk. But there is not just one cure, emphasized Christine Winter, communications director for the American Cancer Society, noting that there are many types of cancer and even several different kinds of breast cancer that respond differently to treatment or lifestyle changes.
Every five years the ACS and a national panel of experts review guidelines for nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention. Some relationships are “firm,” according to Winter.
Overweight and obesity after menopause are related to increased risk of cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium and kidney.
Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer, a relationship that has become reasonably clear only in the last several years.
“Avoiding tobacco, staying lean and activity provide the greatest potential for minimizing risk,” Winter said.
The guidelines don’t include recommendations for specific foods, not even for 5-a-day fruits and vegetables.
“No one should expect substantial benefits without attention to non-smoking, weight control and physical activity,” she said. “Clearly, I think it’s a combination of healthy lifestyle. There needs to be an emphasis on development of guidelines for individual cases.”
Studies are underway, and some show promise, according to Winter, linking specific substances with decreased cancer risks. To date, however, there is not substantial evidence for soy products, lycopene in tomatoes, phytochemicals in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, antioxidants in tea, vitamin A, vitamin D or any other nutritional supplement.
There is strong evidence, however, that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of cancer. There is no evidence that supplements can reduce cancer risk and some may actually increase the risk, according to the Cancer Society.
Mammograms vital
Mammography, beginning at age 40, is the single most effective method of early detection of breast cancer, since it can identify cancer several years before physical symptoms develop and greatly improve treatment options and the chance for survival. When cancer is detected at the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.
