Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
World Journal of Surgical Oncology
Published in: World Journal of Surgical Oncology 1/2005

Open Access 01-12-2005 | Review

Dietary fat and risk of breast cancer

Authors: Bhaskarapillai Binukumar, Aleyamma Mathew

Published in: World Journal of Surgical Oncology | Issue 1/2005

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Breast cancer is one of the major public health problems among women worldwide. A number of epidemiological studies have been carried out to find the role of dietary fat and the risk of breast cancer. The main objective of the present communication is to summarize the evidence from various case-control and cohort studies on the consumption of fat and its subtypes and their effect on the development of breast cancer.

Methods

A Pubmed search for literature on the consumption of dietary fat and risk of breast cancer published from January 1990 through December 2003 was carried out.

Results

Increased consumption of total fat and saturated fat were found to be positively associated with the development of breast cancer. Even though an equivocal association was observed for the consumption of total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and the risk of breast cancer, there exists an inverse association in the case of oleic acid, the most abundant MUFA. A moderate inverse association between consumption of n-3 fatty acids and breast cancer risk and a moderate positive association between n-6 fatty acids and breast cancer risk were observed.

Conclusion

Even though all epidemiological studies do not provide a strong positive association between the consumption of certain types of dietary fat and breast cancer risk, at least a moderate association does seem to exist and this has a number of implications in view of the fact that breast cancer is an increasing public health concern.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P: Estimating the world cancer burden: Globocon 2000. Int J Cancer. 2001, 94: 153-156. 10.1002/ijc.1440.CrossRefPubMed
2.
3.
WCRF (World Cancer Research Fund): American Institute for Cancer Research Expert Panel; Food, Nutrition, and Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. Am Inst Cancer Res. 1997, Washington, DC
4.
Boyd NF, Stone J, Vogt KN, Connelly BS, Martin LJ, Minkin S: Dietary fat and breast cancer risk revisited: a meta-analysis of the published literature. Br J Cancer. 2004, 111: 584-591.
5.
6.
Goodstine SL, Zheng T, Holford TR, Ward BA, Carter D, Owens PH, Mayne ST: Dietary (n-3)/(n-6) fatty acid ratio: possible relationship to premenopausal but not to post-menopausal breast cancer risk in U.S. women. J Nutr. 2003, 133: 1409-1414.PubMed
7.
Horrocks LA, Yeo YK: Health benefits of docosahexanoic acid. Pharmacol Res. 1999, 40: 211-225. 10.1006/phrs.1999.0495.CrossRefPubMed
8.
9.
Do MH, Lee SS, Jung PJ, Lee MH: Intake of dietary fat and vitamin in relation to breast cancer risk in Korean women: a case-control study. J Korean Med Sci. 2003, 18: 534-540.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
10.
D'Avanzo B, Negri E, Gramenzi A, Franceschi S, Parazzini F, Boyle P, La Vecchia C: Fats in seasoning and breast cancer risk: an Italian case-control study. Eur J Cancer. 1991, 27: 420-423.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Ewertz M, Gill C: Dietary factors and breast cancer risk in Denmark. Int J Cancer. 1990, 46: 779-784.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Franceschi S, Favero A, Decarli A, Negri E, La Vecchia C, Ferraroni M, Russo A, Salvini S, Amadori D, Conti E, Montella M, Giacosa A: Intake of macronutrients and the risk of breast cancer,. Lancet. 1996, 347: 1351-1356. 10.1016/S0140-6736(96)91008-9.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Graham S, Hellmann R, Marshall J, Freudenheim J, Vena J, Swanson M, Zielezny M, Nemoto T, Stubbe N, Raimondo T: Nutritional epidemiology of postmenopausal breast cancer in western New York. Am J Epidemiol. 1991, 134: 552-566.PubMed
14.
Hermann S, Linseisen J, Chang-Claude J: Nutrition and breast cancer risk by age 50: a population based case-control study in Germany. Nutr Cancer. 2002, 44: 23-34. 10.1207/S15327914NC441_4.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Lee HP, Gourley L, Duffy SW, Esteve J, Lee J, Day NE: Dietary effects on breast-cancer risk in Singapore. Lancet. 1991, 337: 1197-1200. 10.1016/0140-6736(91)92867-2.CrossRefPubMed
16.
London SJ, Sacks FM, Stampfer MJ, Henderson IC, Maclure M, Tomita A, Wood WC, Remine S, Robert NJ, Dmochowski JR: Fatty acidcomposition of the subcutaneous adipose tissue and risk of proliferative benign breast disease and breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993, 85: 785-793.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Potischman N, Weiss HA, Swanson CA, Coates RJ, Gammon MD, Malone KE, Brogan D, Stanford JL, Hoover RN, Brinton LA: Diet during adolescence and risk of breast cancer among young women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998, 90: 226-233. 10.1093/jnci/90.3.226.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Richardson S, Gerber M, Cenee S: The role of fat, animal protein and some vitamin consumption in breast cancer: A case-control study in Southern France. Int J Cancer. 1991, 48: 1-9.PubMed
19.
Ronco A, De Stefani E, Mendilaharsu M, Denno-Pellegrini H: Meat, fat and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study from Uruguay. Int J Cancer. 1996, 65: 328-331. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19960126)65:3<328::AID-IJC9>3.0.CO;2-1.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Sala E, Warren R, Duffy S, Welch A, Luben R, Day N: High risk mammographic parenchymal patterns and diet: a case-control study. Br J Cancer. 2000, 83: 121-126. 10.1054/bjoc.2000.1151.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
21.
Santiago E, Gonzalez MJ, Matos MI, Perez CM: Association between dietary fat and breast cancer in Puerto Rican postmenopausal women attending a breast cancer clinic. P R Health Sci J. 1998, 17: 235-241.PubMed
22.
Van't Veer P, Kok FJ, Brants HA, Ockhuizen T, Sturmans F, Hermus RJ: Dietary fat and the risk of breast cancer. Int J Epidemiol. 1990, 19: 12-18.CrossRefPubMed
23.
24.
Wakai K, Dillon DS, Ohno Y, Prihartono J, Budiningsih S, Ramli M, Darwis I, Tjindarbumi D, Tjahjadi G, Soetrisno E, Roostini ES, Sakamoto G, Herman S, Cornain S: Fat intake and breast cancer risk in an area where fat intake is low: a case-control study in Indonesia. Int J Epidemiol. 2000, 29: 20-28. 10.1093/ije/29.1.20.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Barrett-Connor E, Friedlander NJ: Dietary fat, calories, and the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a prospective population-based study. J Am Coll Nutr. 1993, 12: 390-399.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Bingham SA, Luben R, Welch A, Wareham N, Khaw KT, Day N: Are imprecise methods obscuring a relation between fat and breast cancer. Lancet. 2003, 362: 212-214. 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13913-X.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Byrne C, Rockett H, Holmes MD: Dietary fat, fat subtypes, and breast cancer risk: lack of an association among postmenopausal women with no history of benign breast disease. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002, 11: 261-265.PubMed
28.
Gago-Dominiguez M, Yuan JM, Sun CL, Lee HP, Yu MC: Opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on mammary carcinogenesis: The Singapore Chinese Health Study. Br J Cancer. 2003, 89: 1686-1692. 10.1038/sj.bjc.6601340.CrossRef
29.
Graham S, Zielezny M, Marshall J, Priore R, Freudenheim J, Brasure J, Haughey B, Nasca P, Zdeb M: Diet in the epidemiology of postmenopausal breast cancer in the New York State Cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 1992, 136: 1327-1337.PubMed
30.
Kushi LH, Sellers TA, Potter JD, Nelson CL, Munger RG, Kaye SA, Folsom AR: Dietary fat and post-menopausal breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992, 84: 1092-1099.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Seiri S, Krogh V, Muti P, Micheli A, Pala V, Crosignani P, Berrino F: Fat and protein intake and subsequent breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women. Nutr Cancer. 2002, 42: 10-17. 10.1207/S15327914NC421_2.CrossRef
32.
Velie E, Kulldorff M, Schairer C, Block G, Albanes D, Schatzkin A: Dietary fat, fat subtypes, and breast cancer in postmenopausal women: a prospective cohort study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000, 92: 833-839. 10.1093/jnci/92.10.833.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Voorrips LE, Brants HA, Kardinaal AFM, van den Brant PA, Goldbohm RA: Intake of conjugated linoleic acid, fat and other fatty acids in relation to post-menopausal breast cancer: the Netherlands cohort study on diet and cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002, 76: 873-882.PubMed
34.
Wirfalt E, Mattisson I, Gullberg B, Johansson U, Olsson H, Berglund G: Post-menopausal breast cancer is associated with high intakes of ω-6 fatty acids (Sweden). Cancer Causes Control . 2003, 13: 883-893. 10.1023/A:1021922917489.CrossRef
35.
Howe GR, Friedenreich CM, Jain M, Miller AB: A cohort study of fat intake and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1991, 83: 336-340.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Cho E, Spieglman D, Hunter DJ, Chen WY, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC: Premenopausal fat intake and risk of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003, 95: 1079-1085.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Gaard M, Tretli S, Loken EB: Dietary fat and the risk of breast cancer: A prospective study of 25,892 Norwegian women,. Int J Cancer . 1995, 63: 13-17.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Knekt P, Albanes D, Seppanen R, Aromaa A, Jarvinen R, Hyvonen L, Teppo L, Pukkala E: Dietary fat and risk of breast cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990, 52: 903-908.PubMed
39.
Rohan TE, Jain M, Miller AB: A case-cohort study of diet and risk of benign proliferative epithelial disorders of the breast (Canada). Cancer Causes Control. 1998, 9: 19-27. 10.1023/A:1008841118358.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Toniolo P, Riboli E, Shore RE, Pasternack BS: Consumption of meat, animal products, protein, and fat and risk of breast cancer: a prospective cohort study in New York. Epidemiology. 1994, 5: 391-397.CrossRefPubMed
41.
van den Brandt PA, van't Veer P, Goldbohm RA, Dorant E, Volovics A, Hermus RJ, Sturmans F: A prospective cohort study on dietary fat and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1993, 53: 75-82.PubMed
42.
Holmes MD, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Hankinson SE, Speizer FE, Rosner B, Willett WC: Association of dietary intake of fat and fatty acids with risk of breast cancer. JAMA. 1999, 281: 914-920. 10.1001/jama.281.10.914.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Horn-Ross PL, Hoggatt KJ, West DW, Krone MR, Stewart SL, Anton-Culver H, Bernstein L, Deapen D, Peel D, Pinder R, Reynolds P, Ross RK, Wright W, Ziogas A: Recent diet and breast cancer risk: the California Teachers Study (USA). Cancer Causes Control. 2002, 13: 407-415. 10.1023/A:1015786030864.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Willett WC, Hunter DJ, Stampfer MJ, Colditz G, Manson JE, Spiegelman D, Rosner B, Hennekens CH, Speizer FE: Dietary fat and fiber in relation to risk of breast cancer. An 8-year follow-up. JAMA. 1992, 268: 2037-2044. 10.1001/jama.268.15.2037.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Favero A, Parpinel M, Montella M: Energy sources and risk of cancer of the breast and colon-rectum in Italy. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1999, 472: 51-55.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Cade J, Thomas E, Vail A: Case-control study of breast cancer in south east England: nutritional factors. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1998, 52: 105-110.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
47.
Decarli A, Favero A, La Vecchia C, Russo A, Ferraroni M, Negri E, Franceschi S: Macronutrients, energy intake, and breast cancer risk: implications from different models. Epidemiology. 1997, 8: 425-428. 10.1097/00001648-199707000-00013.CrossRefPubMed
48.
La Vecchia C, Favero A, Franceschi S: Monounsaturated and other types of fat, and the risk of breast cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1998, 7: 461-464.CrossRefPubMed
49.
Katsouyanni K, Trichopoulou A, Stuver S, Garas Y, Kritselis A, Kyriakou G, Stoikidou M, Boyle P, Trichopoulos D: The association of fat and other macronutrients with breast cancer: a case-control study from Greece. Br J Cancer. 1994, 70: 537-541.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
50.
Klein V, Chajes V, Germain E, Schulgen G, Pinault M, Malvy D, Lefrancq T, Fignon A, Le Floch O, Lhuillery C, Bougnoux P: Low alpha-linolenic acid content of adipose breast tissue is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2000, 36: 335-340. 10.1016/S0959-8049(99)00254-3.CrossRefPubMed
51.
Saadatian-Elahi M, Toniolo P, Ferrari P, Goudable J, Akhmedkhanov A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Riboli E: Serum fatty acids and risk of breast cancer in a nested case-control study of the New York University Women's Health Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002, 11: 1353-1360.PubMed
52.
Wolk A, Bergstrom R, Hunter D, Willett W, Ljung H, Holmberg L, Bergkvist L, Bruce A, Adami HO: A prospective study of association of monounsaturated fat and other types of fat with risk of breast cancer. Arch Intern Med. 1998, 158: 41-45. 10.1001/archinte.158.1.41.CrossRefPubMed
53.
Nkondjock A, Shatenstein B, Ghadirian P: A case-control study of breast cancer and dietary intake of individual fatty acids and antioxidants in Montreal, Canada. Breast. 2003, 12: 131-138. 10.1016/S0960-9776(02)00284-9.CrossRef
54.
Martin-Moreno JM, Willett WC, Gorgojo L, Banegas JR, Rodriguez-Artalejo F, Fernandez-Rodriguez JC, Maisonneuve P, Boyle P: Dietary fat, olive oil intake and breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer. 1994, 58: 774-780.CrossRefPubMed
55.
Simonsen NR, Fernandez-Crehuet Navajas J, Martin-Moreno JM, Strain JJ, Huttunen JK, Martin BC, Thamm M, Kardinaal AF, van't Veer P, Kok FJ, Kohlmeier L: Tissue stores of individual monounsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer: the EURAMIC study. European Community Multicenter Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and Breast Cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998, 68: 134-141.PubMed
56.
Trichopoulou A, Katsouyanni K, Stuver S, Tzala L, Gnardellis C, Rimm E, Trichopooulos D: Consumption of olive oil and specific food groups in relation to breat cancer risk in Greece. J Natl Cancer Inst . 1995, 87: 110-116.CrossRefPubMed
57.
Bonilla-Fernandez P, Lopez-Cervantes M, Torres-Sanchez LE, Tortolero-Luna G, Lopez-Carrillo L: Nutritional factors and breast cancer in Mexico. Nutr Cancer. 2003, 45: 148-155. 10.1207/S15327914NC4502_02.CrossRefPubMed
58.
Bagga D, Anders KH, Wang HJ, Glaspy JA: Long-chain n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios in breast adipose tissue from women with and without breast cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2002, 42: 180-185. 10.1207/S15327914NC422_5.CrossRefPubMed
59.
Maillard V, Bougnoux P, Ferrari P, Jourdan ML, Pinault M, Lavillonniere F, Body G, Le Floch O, Chajes V: N-3 and n-6 fatty acids in breast adipose tissue and relative risk of breast cancer in a case-control study in Tours, France. Int J Cancer. 2002, 98: 78-83. 10.1002/ijc.10130.CrossRefPubMed
60.
Owen RW, Giacosa A, Hull WE, Haubner R, Wurtele G, Spiegelhalder B, Bartsch H: Olive-oil consumption and health: the possible role of antioxidants. Lancet Oncol. 2000, 1: 107-112. 10.1016/S1470-2045(00)00015-2.CrossRefPubMed
61.
Wahrburg U, Assmann G: Properties of olive oil. Lancet. 2001, 357: 1626-10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04774-7.CrossRefPubMed
62.
Kohlmeier L: Biomarkers of fatty acid exposure and breast cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997, 66 (6 suppl): 1548S-1556S.PubMed
63.
Mannisto S, Pietinen P, Virtanen M, Kataja V, Uusitupa M: Diet and the risk of breast cancer in a case-control study: does the threat of disease have an influence on recall bias?. J Clin Epidemiol. 1999, 52: 429-439. 10.1016/S0895-4356(99)00010-4.CrossRefPubMed
64.
Saadatian-Elahi M, Norat T, Goudable J, Riboli E: Biomarkers of dietary fat intake and the risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Int J Cancer. 2004, 111: 584-591. 10.1002/ijc.20284.CrossRefPubMed
65.
Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Adami HO, Beeson L, van den Brandt PA, Folsom AR, Fraser GE, Goldbohm RA, Graham S, Howe GR: Cohort studies of fat intake and the risk of breast cancer- a pooled analysis. N Engl J Med. 1996, 334: 356-361. 10.1056/NEJM199602083340603.CrossRefPubMed
66.
Franceschi S, Favero A: The role of energy and fat in cancers of the breast and colon-rectum in a southern European population. Ann Oncol. 1999, 10 (Suppl 6): 61-63. 10.1023/A:1008384302955.CrossRefPubMed
67.
Willett WC: Fat, energy and breast cancer. J Nutr. 1997, 127 (5 Suppl): 921S-923S.PubMed
68.
Key TJ, Allen NE, Spencer EA, Travis RC: Nutrition and breast cancer. Breast. 2003, 12: 412-416. 10.1016/S0960-9776(03)00145-0.CrossRefPubMed
69.
Prentice RL: Future possibilities in the prevention of breast cancer: fat and fiber and breast cancer research. Breast Cancer Res. 2000, 2: 268-276. 10.1186/bcr68.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
70.
Hunter DJ, Willett WC: Nutrition and breast cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 1996, 7: 56-68. 10.1007/BF00115638.CrossRefPubMed
71.
Zock PL: Dietary fats and cancer. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2001, 12: 5-10. 10.1097/00041433-200102000-00002.CrossRefPubMed
72.
Law M: Dietary fat and adult diseases and the implications for childhood nutrition: an epidemiologic approach. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000, 72 (5 Suppl): 1291S-1296S.PubMed
73.
74.
Santiago E, Gonzalez MJ, Matos MI, Perez CM: Dietary fat and breast cancer: a brief update on current knowledge. P R Health Sci J. 1998, 17: 273-279.PubMed
75.
Wynder EL, Cohen LA, Muscat JE, Winters B, Dwyer JT, Blackburn G: Breast cancer: weighing the evidence for a promoting role of dietary fat. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1997, 89: 766-775. 10.1093/jnci/89.11.766.CrossRefPubMed
76.
Richter WO: Fatty acids and breast cancer – is there a relationship?. Eur J Med Res. 2003, 8: 373-380.PubMed
77.
Rock CL, Demark-Wahnefried W: Nutrition and survival after the diagnosis of breast cancer: a review of the evidence. J Clin Oncol. 2002, 20: 3302-3316. 10.1200/JCO.2002.03.008.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
78.
La Guardia M, Giammanco M: Breast cancer and obesity. Panminerva Med. 2001, 43: 123-133.PubMed
79.
Howe GR: Dietary fat and breast cancer risks. An epidemiologic perspective. Cancer. 1994, 74: 1078-1084.CrossRefPubMed
80.
81.
Kushi L, Giovannucci E: Dietary fat and cancer. Am J Med. 2002, 113 (Suppl 9B): 63S-70S. 10.1016/S0002-9343(01)00994-9.CrossRefPubMed
82.
Feldman EB: Breast cancer risk and intake of fat. Nutr Rev. 1999, 57: 353-356.PubMed
83.
Prentice RL, Sheppard L: Dietary fat and cancer: Consistency of epidemiologic data and disease prevention that may follow from a practical reduction in fat consumption. Cancer Causes Control. 1990, 1: 81-97. 10.1007/BF00053187.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Dietary fat and risk of breast cancer
Authors
Bhaskarapillai Binukumar
Aleyamma Mathew
Publication date
01-12-2005
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
World Journal of Surgical Oncology / Issue 1/2005
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7819
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7819-3-45

Other articles of this Issue 1/2005

World Journal of Surgical Oncology 1/2005 Go to the issue

Research

Age dependent association of endometrial polyps with increased risk of cancer involvement

Case report

Mucinous cystadenoma of the pancreas with predominant stroma creating a solid tumor

Case report

Retroperitoneal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

Review

Viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Research

Feasibility of chemosensitivity testing in soft tissue sarcomas

Case report

Case report: late perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma after Crohn's disease proctectomy: an oncological rarity