Breast Cancer Diet

According to the American Cancer Society, about 203,500 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year. About 40,000 women will die from the disease. Studies suggest weight loss and a healthy diet may reduce a woman's chance of recurrence after cancer treatment. Researchers from across the country studied more than 85 women who had been treated for breast cancer. Women answered questions that assessed weight, fat consumption, exercise practices, and readiness for exercise and weight loss.

More than half of the women in the study were overweight or obese, and 55 percent had a dietary fat intake of at least 30 percent. The overweight or obese women in the study were more likely to be in early stages of readiness for weight loss and a majority of all women believed diet and exercise can change the course of their cancer. Even so, only 39 percent reported both a low-fat diet and exercising at recommended levels.

Based on these findings, researchers say more interventions need to focus on increasing self-efficacy for behavior change.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2002;77:122-129