Dairy lowers breast cancer survival

15/03/13

By James O'Brien

A new study shows women who eat and drink high-fat dairy products are less likely to survive breast cancer.

Patients who consumed products like milk, ice cream and cheese at least once a day were found to be 64% more likely to die from any cause than those who did not. The figure was 49% when it came to death from breast cancer.

The study followed the diets of 1,500 women with breast cancer over an average of 12 years. Participants were quizzed on how much dairy they had consumed in the previous 12 months, giving details on portion sizes and fat content.

All of the patients were told they had cancer around two years before the start of the study. A total of 372 died during the follow-up period, 189 from breast cancer, while 349 women had a recurrence of the cancer.

Scientists believe cow oestrogen could be behind higher breast cancer mortality in those who consume dairy products. The findings back up previous studies which uncovered a link between oestrogen and breast cancer.

Lead researcher Candyce Kroenke, from the Kaiser Permanente research institute in the US, said: "Women consuming larger amounts of high-fat dairy had higher breast cancer mortality as well as higher all-cause mortality and higher non-breast cancer mortality."

The research, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, forms part of the Life After Cancer Epidemiology study which investigates how lifestyles affect breast cancer survival and occurrence.

Dr Susan Kutner, head of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Regional Breast Care Task Force, has called for more emphasis on healthier diets in light of the findings.

"Women have been clamouring for this type of information. They're asking us, tell me what I should eat? With this information, we can be more specific about recommending low-fat dairy products," she said.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.