Diet and risk for breast cancer recurrence and survival

Dietary factors may influence the risk for breast cancer and also the progn osis following diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to assess whether self-reported prediagnosis diet or other patient factors associate d with breast cancer incidence were predictive of recurrence and survival. Patients (n = 149) diagnosed with primary breast cancer between 1989 and 19 91 were followed for five or more years. Total energy (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.58, 95%, confidence interval (CI) = 1.05, 2.38) as well as total (HR = 1. 46; 95% CI = 1.05; 2.01), saturated (HR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.05; 3.04), and m onounsaturated (HR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.09; 2.49) fat intakes were associated with increased risk, and energy-adjusted bread and cereal consumption (HR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.33; 0.93) with decreased risk of recurrence. Both total energy (HR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.03; 2.43) and polyunsaturated fat (HR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.09; 3.13) intakes were associated with an increased risk of dea th. All associations between dietary fat and recurrence and survival attenu ated following energy adjustment. Oral contraceptive use (HR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.03; 1.60), lymph node positive status (HR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.01; 5.49) , and tumor stage (HR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.02; 4.81) were associated with inc reased risk of recurrence. Tumor stage (HR = 4.96; 95% CI = 1.86; 13.23), l ymph node positive status (HR = 3.31; 95% CI = 1.38; 7.95), and estrogen re ceptor negative status (HR = 2.46; 95% CI = 1.02; 5.94) were associated wit h increased risk, and arm muscle circumference (HR = 0.27; 95% CI = 0.09; 0 .86) and mammographic utilization (HR = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.61; 0.98) with dec reased risk of death. Higher levels of energy, fat intakes, and selected pa tient characteristics (particularly disease stage and anthropometric indica tors of adiposity) appear to increase risk of recurrence and/or shortened s urvival following the diagnosis of breast cancer.