DIETARY-FAT, OLIVE OIL INTAKE AND BREAST-CANCER RISK

As part of a population-based case-control study on diet and breast ca ncer in Spain, the role of dietary fat and vegetable oils in breast ca ncer etiology was examined. A validated, semi-quantitative food-freque ncy questionnaire was completed by 762 women, 18-75 years of age, with histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed breast cancer, and 988 rand omly selected female controls. For each food item and nutrient, the st udy subjects were divided into quartiles according to intake levels, w ith the lowest quartile serving as the reference category. Adjustment for total energy intake and other potential confounders was made using multiple logistic regression for all women as well as separately for pre- and post-menopausal women. Neither total fat intake nor specific types of fat were significantly associated with breast cancer in pre- or post-menopausal women. However, higher consumption of olive oil (ri ch in monounsaturated fat) was significantly related to a lower risk o f breast cancer [for highest vs. lowest quartile of consumption, odds ratio (OR) = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.46-0.97] with a significant dose-response trend. While these findings do not support a relation between total f at intake and breast cancer risk, they do provide evidence for an inve rse association between olive oil (and suggest one between monounsatur ated fat) and risk of breast cancer. (C) Wiley-Liss, Inc.