Low-fat Diet Could Increase Overall Survival in Breast Cancer Patients

Women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification tria and who followed a low-fast diet were seen to have a higher overall survival rate and also improved the quality of life.

• Why The Research Is Interesting: This study helps address the issue of post diagnosis dietary intervention influences by providing findings for breast cancer overall survival measured from breast cancer diagnosis because study participants with breast cancer continued to participate in dietary modification activities.

‘Breast cancer women who followed a low-fat diet had better overall survival rates with improved quality of life.’

• Who and When: 48,835 postmenopausal women with no previous breast cancer and dietary fat intake of more than 32 percent based on a food questionnaire
• What (Study Interventions and Oucomes): 19,541 participants took part in a dietary intervention to reduce their fat intake to 20 percent of calories and increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and grains they were eating, while 29,294 participants served as a usual-diet comparison group (interventions); breast cancer overall survival for new breast cancers diagnosed during the 8.5 years of the dietary intervention and examined later after 11.5 years of postdiagnosis follow-up.
• Study Design: This was a secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative randomized clinical trial
• Authors: Rowan T. Chlebowski, M.D., Ph.D., of City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, and coauthors
• Results: 1,764 women diagnosed with breast cancer during the dietary intervention; breast cancer overall survival was higher for women in the lower-fat group than in the usual-diet group; and in the group where women ate less fat, there were fewer deaths from breast cancer, other cancers and cardiovascular disease
• Limitations: Modest increases in vegetable, fruit and grain intake, the need for confirmatory trials and incomplete breast cancer therapy information.

Source: Eurekalert