Top

Current Oncology Reports

Published in:

30-01-2024 | Prostate Cancer | Review

The Dairy and Cancer Controversy: Milking the Evidence

Authors: Taylor E. Scialo, Crystal M. Pace, Donald I. Abrams

Published in: Current Oncology Reports | Issue 3/2024

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Cancer risk reduction remains a significant concern for both individuals with a cancer diagnosis and those aiming to prevent it. Dairy products, a source of beneficial dietary nutrients, have sparked controversy regarding their impact on cancer risk.

Recent Findings

Evidence indicates that dairy consumption, particularly milk, can decrease colorectal cancer risk. However, cow’s milk, a key dairy product, exposes individuals to growth hormones, notably insulin-like growth factor-1, potentially elevating cancer risk. Extensive research supports the link between dairy intake and heightened prostate cancer risk. Nonetheless, investigations into dairy’s association with breast, ovarian, and other cancers yield mixed results.

Summary

The overall data on dairy and cancer remains inconclusive. Available data suggests that a diet emphasizing fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while restricting milk and dairy intake—similar to the Mediterranean dietary pattern—might mitigate cancer incidence. However, further research is crucial to elucidate the precise role of dairy products in overall cancer risk.

National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). National Institutes of Health; 2020. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html. Accessed 26 Nov 2023

Liposits G, Orrevall Y, Kaasa S, Osterlund P, Cederholm T. Nutrition in cancer care: a brief, practical guide with a focus on clinical practice. JCO Oncol Pract. 2021;17(7):e992–8.CrossRef

Muscaritoli M, Arends J, Bachmann P, Baracos V, Barthelemy N, Bertz H, Bozzetti F, Hütterer E, Isenring E, Kaasa S, Krznaric Z. ESPEN practical guideline: clinical nutrition in cancer. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(5):2898–913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.02.005.CrossRefPubMed

López-Plaza B, Loria-Kohen V, González-Rodríguez LG, Fernández-Cruz E. Alimentación y estilo de vida en la prevención del cáncer [Diet and lifestyle in cancer prevention]. Nutr Hosp. 2022;39:74–7. Spanish. https://doi.org/10.20960/nh.04317.CrossRefPubMed

5.•

DeClercq V, Nearing JT, Sweeney E. Plant-based diets and cancer risk: what is the evidence? Curr Nutr Rep. 2022;11(2):354–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-022-00409-0. This review discusses current observational studies showcasing an inverse association between plant based diet and overall cancer risk.CrossRefPubMed

6.••

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer: a global perspective. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. dietandcancerreport.org. Accessed 26 Nov 2023. This is a summary report of the evidence surrounding diet and cancer on a global perspective. Subsets of this report exist for various cancer sites and are included in this reference list as individual citations where appropriate.

Comerford KB, Miller GD, Boileau AC, Masiello Schuette SN, Giddens JC, Brown KA. Global review of dairy recommendations in food-based dietary guidelines. Front Nutr. 2021;8:671999. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.671999.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Shiby VK, Mishra HN. Fermented milks and milk products as functional foods—a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(5):482–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2010.547398.CrossRefPubMed

Key TJ. Diet, insulin-like growth factor-1 and cancer risk. Proc Nutr Soc. 2011;3:1–4. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665111000127.CrossRef

10.

Qin LQ, He K, Xu JY. Milk consumption and circulating insulin-like growth factor-I level: a systematic literature review. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009;60:330–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480903150114.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Melnik BC. Lifetime impact of cow’s milk on overactivation of mTORC1: from fetal to childhood overgrowth, acne, diabetes, cancers, and neurodegeneration. Biomolecules. 2021;11(3):404. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11030404.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

12.

Barrea L, Di Somma C, Macchia PE, Falco A, Savanelli MC, Orio F, et al. Influence of nutrition on somatotropic axis: milk consumption in adult individuals with moderate-severe obesity. Clin Nutr. 2017;36(1):293–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2015.12.007.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Melnik BC, John SM, Carrera-Bastos P, Cordain L, Leitzmann C, Weiskirchen R, Schmitz G. The role of cow’s milk consumption in breast cancer initiation and progression. Curr Nutr Rep. 2023;12(1):122–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-023-00457-0.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.•

Willett WC, Ludwig DS. Milk and Health. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(7):644–54. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra1903547. A review discussing milk and dairy consumption as it relates to overall health, noting the known benefits and documented concerns.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Zhang K, Dai H, Liang W, Zhang L, Deng Z. Fermented dairy foods intake and risk of cancer. Int J Cancer. 2019;144(9):2099–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.31959.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Średnicka-Tober D, Barański M, Seal CJ, Sanderson R, Benbrook C, Steinshamn H, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J, Rembiałkowska E, Skwarło-Sońta K, Eyre M, Cozzi G, Larsen MK, Jordon T, Niggli U, Sakowski T, Calder PC, Burdge GC, Sotiraki S, Stefanakis A, et al. Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analyses. Br J Nutr. 2016;115(6):1043–60. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114516000349.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

17.

Vigar V, Myers S, Oliver C, Arellano J, Robinson S, Leifert C. A systematic review of organic versus conventional food consumption: is there a measurable benefit on human health? Nutrients. 2019;12(1):7. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010007.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

18.

Cavalier H, Trasande L, Porta M. Exposures to pesticides and risk of cancer: evaluation of recent epidemiological evidence in humans and paths forward. Int J Cancer. 2023;152(5):879–912. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.34300.CrossRefPubMed

19.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. 9th ed. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf. Accessed 26 Nov 2023

20.

Michaëlsson K, Wolk A, Langenskiöld S, Basu S, Warensjö Lemming E, Melhus H, Byberg L. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. BMJ. 2014;349:g6015. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g6015.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

21.

Feskanich D, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Frazier AL, Willett WC. Milk consumption during teenage years and risk of hip fractures in older adults. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(1):54–60. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.3821.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Malik TF, Panuganti KK. Lactose intolerance. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.

23.

Montgomery RK, Krasinski SD, Hirschhorn JN, Grand RJ. Lactose and lactase—who is lactose intolerant and why? J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2007;45:S131–7. https://doi.org/10.1097/mpg.0b013e31812e68f6.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Abrams DI. Milking the evidence: diet does matter. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(22):2290–2. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2014.56.6299.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Barrubés L, Babio N, Becerra-Tomás N, Rosique-Esteban N, Salas-Salvadó J. Association between dairy product consumption and colorectal cancer risk in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Adv Nutr. 2019;10:S190–211. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy114.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

26.

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Meat, fish, and dairy products and the risk of cancer. dietandcancerreport.org. Accessed 26 Nov 2023

27.

Norat T, Riboli E. Dairy products and colorectal cancer. A review of possible mechanisms and epidemiological evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003;57(1):1–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601522.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Li HY, Li M, Luo CC, Wang JQ, Zheng N. Lactoferrin exerts antitumor effects by inhibiting angiogenesis in a HT29 human colon tumor model. J Agric Food Chem. 2017;65(48):10464–72. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03390.CrossRefPubMed

29.

Bostick RM, Potter JD, Sellers TA, McKenzie DR, Kushi LH, Folsom AR. Relation of calcium, vitamin D, and dairy food intake to incidence of colon cancer among older women. The Iowa Women’s Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1993;137(12):1302–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116640.CrossRefPubMed

30.

Park Y, Leitzmann MF, Subar AF, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Dairy food, calcium, and risk of cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):391–401. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2008.578.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

31.

Abid Z, Cross AJ, Sinha R. Meat, dairy, and cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100:386S–93S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.071597.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

32.

Song Y, Chavarro JE, Cao Y, Qiu W, Mucci L, Sesso HD, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Pollak M, Liu S, Ma J. Whole milk intake is associated with prostate cancer-specific mortality among U.S. male physicians. J Nutr. 2013;143(2):189–96. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.112.168484.CrossRefPubMed

33.

Raimondi S, Mabrouk JB, Shatenstein B, Maisonneuve P, Ghadirian P. Diet and prostate cancer risk with specific focus on dairy products and dietary calcium: a case-control study. Prostate. 2010;70(10):1054–65. https://doi.org/10.1002/pros.21139.CrossRefPubMed

34.

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and prostate cancer. dietandcancerreport.org. Accessed 26 Nov 2023

35.

López-Plaza B, Bermejo LM, Santurino C, Cavero-Redondo I, Álvarez-Bueno C, Gómez-Candela C. Milk and dairy product consumption and prostate cancer risk and mortality: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Adv Nutr. 2019;10:S212–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz014.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

36.•

Orlich MJ, Mashchak AD, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Utt JT, Knutsen SF, Sveen LE, Fraser GE. Dairy foods, calcium intakes, and risk of incident prostate cancer in Adventist Health Study-2. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;116(2):314–24. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac093. A prospective cohort study in a population with a variable range of dairy intake and large intake of non-dairy calcium sources with results suggesting that men with higher intake of dairy foods had a higher risk of prostate cancer compared to men with lower intakes.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

37.

Torfadottir JE, Steingrimsdottir L, Mucci L, Aspelund T, Kasperzyk JL, Olafsson O, Fall K, Tryggvadottir L, Harris TB, Launer L, Jonsson E, Tulinius H, Stampfer M, Adami HO, Gudnason V, Valdimarsdottir UA. Milk intake in early life and risk of advanced prostate cancer. Am J Epidemiol. 2012;175(2):144–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwr289.CrossRefPubMed

38.

Huncharek M, Muscat J, Kupelnick B. Dairy products, dietary calcium and vitamin D intake as risk factors for prostate cancer: a meta-analysis of 26,769 cases from 45 observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60:421–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635580801911779.CrossRefPubMed

39.

Rohrmann S, Platz EA, Kavanaugh CJ, Thuita L, Hoffman SC, Helzlsouer KJ. Meat and dairy consumption and subsequent risk of prostate cancer in a US cohort study. Cancer Causes Control. 2007;18(1):41–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-006-0082-y.CrossRefPubMed

40.

Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. A prospective study of calcium intake and incident and fatal prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006;15:203–10. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-05-0586.CrossRefPubMed

41.

Rahmati S, Azami M, Delpisheh A, Hafezi Ahmadi MR, Sayehmiri K. Total calcium (dietary and supplementary) intake and prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018;19(6):1449–56. https://doi.org/10.22034/apjcp.2018.19.6.1449.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

42.

Fraser GE, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Orlich M, Mashchak A, Sirirat R, Knutsen S. Dairy, soy, and risk of breast cancer: those confounded milks. Int J Epidemiol. 2020;49(5):1526–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa007.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

43.•

Kazemi A, Barati-Boldaji R, Soltani S, Mohammadipoor N, Esmaeilinezhad Z, CCT C, Babajafari S, Akbarzadeh M. Intake of various food groups and risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Adv Nutr. 2021;12(3):809–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa147. A study suggesting that milk intake and breast cancer risk association was only significant for intakes that were greater than 450 grams per day. This study also discussed an inverse association with cheese consumption.CrossRefPubMed

44.

Kakkoura MG, Du H, Guo Y, Yu C, Yang L, Pei P, Chen Y, Sansome S, Chan WC, Yang X, Fan L, Lv J, Chen J, Li L, Key TJ, Chen Z, China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) Collaborative Group. Dairy consumption and risks of total and site-specific cancers in Chinese adults: an 11-year prospective study of 0.5 million people. BMC Med. 2022;20(1):134. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02330-3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

45.

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. 2018 Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and breast cancer. dietandcancerreport.org. Accessed 26 Nov 2023

46.

Chen L, Li M, Li H. Milk and yogurt intake and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(12):e14900. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000014900.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

47.

Wu Y, Huang R, Wang M, Bernstein L, Bethea TN, Chen C, Chen Y, Eliassen AH, Freedman ND, Gaudet MM, Gierach GL, Giles GG, Krogh V, Larsson SC, Liao LM, McCullough ML, Miller AB, Milne RL, Monroe KR, et al. Dairy foods, calcium, and risk of breast cancer overall and for subtypes defined by estrogen receptor status: a pooled analysis of 21 cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;114(2):450–61. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000014900.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

48.

Kroenke CH, Kwan ML, Sweeney C, Castillo A, Caan BJ. High- and low-fat dairy intake, recurrence, and mortality after breast cancer diagnosis. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013;105(9):616–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djt027.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

49.

Arafat HM, Omar J, Shafii N, Naser IA, Al Laham NA, Muhamad R, Al-Astani TAD, Shaqaliah AJ, Shamallakh OM, Shamallakh KM, Abusalah MAH. The association between breast cancer and consumption of dairy products: a systematic review. Ann Med. 2023;55(1):2198256. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2023.2198256.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

50.

Genkinger JM, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Anderson KE, Arslan A, Beeson WL, Buring JE, Fraser GE, Freudenheim JL, Goldbohm RA, Hankinson SE, Jacobs DR Jr, Koushik A, Lacey JV Jr, Larsson SC, Leitzmann M, McCullough ML, Miller AB, Rodriguez C, et al. Dairy products and ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of 12 cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006;15(2):364–72. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-05-0484.CrossRefPubMed

51.

Jiang L, Gong TT, Gao S, Li XQ, Liu FH, Wen ZY, Wei YF, Yan S, Hou R, Wu QJ. Pre-diagnosis dairy product intake and ovarian cancer mortality: results from the ovarian cancer follow-up study (OOPS). Front Nutr. 2021;8:750801. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.750801.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

52.

Liao MQ, Gao XP, Yu XX, Zeng YF, Li SN, Naicker N, Joseph T, Cao WT, Liu YH, Zhu S, Chen QS, Yang ZC, Zeng FF. Effects of dairy products, calcium and vitamin D on ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis of twenty-nine epidemiological studies. Br J Nutr. 2020;124(10):1001–12. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114520001075.CrossRefPubMed

53.

Wang J, Li X, Zhang D. Dairy product consumption and risk of non-hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2016;8(3):120. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8030120.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

54.

Đoàn LN, Hu C, Zhang Z, Shannon J, Bobe G, Takata Y. Dairy product consumption and lung cancer risk: a prospective analysis. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2023;57:423–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.040.CrossRefPubMed

55.••

Morze J, Danielewicz A, Przybyłowicz K, Zeng H, Hoffmann G, Schwingshackl L. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on adherence to mediterranean diet and risk of cancer. Eur J Nutr. 2021;60(3):1561–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02346-6. A systematic review suggesting that the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet was related to a lower risk of cancer mortality in the general population. This review included a certainty of evidence assessment for the studies involved in the analysis.CrossRefPubMed

56.

Mentella MC, Scaldaferri F, Ricci C, Gasbarrini A, Miggiano GAD. Cancer and Mediterranean diet: a review. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2059. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11092059.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

57.

Schwingshackl L, Hoffmann G. Does a Mediterranean-type diet reduce cancer risk? Curr Nutr Rep. 2016;5:9–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-015-0141-7.CrossRefPubMed

58.

Schwingshackl L, Schwedhelm C, Galbete C, Hoffmann G. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2017;9(10):1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9101063.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Title: The Dairy and Cancer Controversy: Milking the Evidence
Authors: Taylor E. Scialo
Crystal M. Pace
Donald I. Abrams
Publication date: 30-01-2024
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer
Published in: Current Oncology Reports / Issue 3/2024
Print ISSN: 1523-3790
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6269
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-024-01496-8

Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras

Prof. Fabrice Barlesi

Developed by: Springer Medicine

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Recent Findings

Summary

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 3/2024

Pelvic Floor Therapy and Initial Interventions for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Gynecologic Malignancies

Geographical Disparities in Lung Cancer in Canada: A Review

Establishing an Integrative Oncology Service: Essential Aspects of Program Development

Special considerations for managing CML in children

Oral Health in Patients with History of Head and Neck Cancer: Complexity and Benefits of a Targeted Oral Healthcare Pathway

Perspectives on the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer