Breast cancer

Scientific studies (review articles) on the relationship between diet/nutrients and breast cancer prevention:
One swallow does not make a summer. A famous Dutch saying that could not be any more obvious. Just because one single scientific study about a certain topic makes certain claims, it does not necessarily mean it is true. On the other hand, a review article (a collection of scientific studies on a certain topic) of randomized, placebo-controlled double blind clinical trials (RCTs) will answer the following question:
"Do taking dietary supplements make sense?" Yes for a positive conclusion and no for a negative conclusion.

One swallow does not make a summer. A famous Dutch saying that could not be any more obvious. Just because one single scientific study about a certain topic makes certain claims, it does not necessarily mean it is true. On the other hand, a review article (a collection of scientific studies on a certain topic) of cohort studies or case-control studies will answer the following question:
"Should I change my diet?".

1. Higher choline dietary intake may reduce breast cancer
2. CoQ10 supplementation reduces markers of inflammation and MMPs in patients with breast cancer
3. High consumption of dietary trans fat increases prostate cancer and colorectal cancer
4. Saturated fat increases breast cancer mortality among women
5. Higher mushroom consumption reduces breast cancer
6. A low selenium level increases breast cancer
7. No association between dietary acrylamide intake and breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer
8. Higher vitamin C dietary intake reduces breast cancer
9. Post-diagnosis calcium, vitamin C, D or E decreases cancer mortality
10. Soy/soy products consumption reduce risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases
11. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish consumption reduce breast cancer in Asian patients
12. High levels of physical activity reduce risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with a BMI until 30
13. Daily 200-320 micrograms dietary folate intake reduce breast cancer risk
14. Daily 100 μg dietary folate intake reduce oestrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer
15. Manganese deficiency may increase breast cancer
16. Dietary carrot intake reduces breast cancer

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Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast. The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of the milk ducts (thin tubes that carry milk from the lobules of the breast to the nipple). Another type of breast cancer is lobular carcinoma, which begins in the lobules (milk glands) of the breast. Invasive breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread from where it began in the breast ducts or lobules to surrounding normal tissue.

Breast cancer often occurs in women. However, men can also develop breast cancer, but this disease is about 100 times more common among women than men. This is probably because men have less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can promote breast cancer cell growth.

About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary. The most common cause of hereditary breast cancer is an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene one) and BRCA2 genes. In normal cells, these genes (found both in men and women) help prevent cancer by making proteins that keep the cells from growing abnormally.
Although in some families with BRCA1 mutations the lifetime risk of breast cancer is as high as 80%, on average this risk seems to be in the range of 55 to 65%. For BRCA2 mutations the risk is lower, around 45%.
Abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may account for up to 10% of all breast cancers or 1 out of every 10 cases.
Women with an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene also have an increased risk of developing ovarian, colon, pancreatic and thyroid cancers, as well as melanoma.

No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors. Risks that women cannot change include:

• Age - the chance of getting breast cancer rises as a woman gets older.
• Genes - there are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 that greatly increase the risk. Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested.
• Personal factors - beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55.

Other risks include being overweight, using hormone replacement therapy (also called menopausal hormone therapy), taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35 or having dense breasts.

A woman with an average risk of breast cancer has about a 12% chance of developing breast cancer.

The first sign of breast cancer often is a breast lump or an abnormal mammogram.