High-fat diets may increase the risk of cancer at sites such as the br
east, colon, pancreas and prostate, although the evidence is somewhat
mixed. The type of fat can affect its influence on cancer in experimen
tal animals, but in humans on diets of mixed foodstuffs the quantity r
ather than the quality of fat is likely to be more important. Dietary
fat may influence carcinogenesis by altering energy balance and in mam
mary cancer the effects may be mediated by the mammary adipose tissue.
A variety of minor dietary components have been reported to possess a
nticancer activity. Among these compounds, tocotrienols and flavonoids
have been shown in our laboratory to inhibit proliferation of human b
reast cancer cells in culture, and to act synergistically with each ot
her and with tamoxifen in the inhibition of these cells. This suggests
that such combinations may be useful for prevention and/or treatment
of breast cancer.