October is breast cancer awareness month and there is a growing amount of information on how to help prevent it. For example, recent research published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 62 percent.
Olive Oil
Researchers in Spain put more than 4,000 women (aged 60 to 80) into three groups: one was instructed to eat a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fish and legumes, with limited dairy, red meat and sweets. They also were given four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil daily. The second group also followed this diet but was supplemented with mixed nuts instead of olive oil. The third group was simply instructed to eat a low-fat diet.
Over the next six years, a total of 35 of these women developed breast cancer. The women who consumed the Mediterranean diet with olive oil had a 62 percent reduced risk, compared to the women on the low-fat diet. The second group that ate extra nuts experienced a drop in risk, but not significant statistically. The researchers cite facts showing that certain compounds found in olive oil, such as antioxidant polyphenols, can kill cancer cells and stop tumors from growing.
Early Detection
One of the newest ways to protect from breast cancer is to learn about your personal breast tissue—dense breasts have six times higher risk for cancer than breasts with high levels of fat. Experts are not sure why this is the case. As of 2013, 13 states require clinics that perform mammograms to inform patients of their breast density scores. Or, you simply can ask the radiologist.
Before 2009, mammograms were recommended for women in their 40s. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force later set the recommendation for women aged 50 to 74, which was a controversial decision, especially in light of findings by researchers at Harvard Medical School. Of 609 confirmed breast cancer deaths, 29 percent were among women who had mammograms and 71 percent among women who did not have the screening test. Of these deaths, 13 percent were 70 or older while 50 percent were under the age of 50. The median age at diagnosis was 49, much at odds with the Preventive Services Task Force recommendation to begin mammograms at age 50 and clearly supporting the importance of early detection.
Sleep at Night
A study by Canadian researchers, published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, compared 1,134 women with breast cancer and 1,179 without the disease. They found that post-menopausal women with more than 30 years of night shift work had a higher risk of breast cancer than their daytime working peers, even when factoring in family history.
Previous studies had found higher rates of breast cancer in health care employees who worked night shifts for decades, but this particular study included women who held jobs in a variety of fields, thus pointing to long-term sleep disruption as the common denominator. Experts believe that exposure to light at night could depress production of melatonin, a hormone thought to ward off cancer.
Anne Grundy, PhD, co-author of the joint study with the Department of Public Health Sciences and Queen’s Cancer Research Institute at Queen’s University in Canada says, “If you’re occasionally having to stay up all night to do things, it’s probably not going to be a very big deal. We saw that it’s long-term shift work that’s having an effect.” She recommends that women working night shifts take steps to lower their risk by sticking to a healthy diet, exercising regularly and minimizing light sources when they sleep during daylight hours.
Take Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Numerous breast cancer research bodies agree that omega-3 fatty acids play a role in preventing the disease. Chief mission officer of Susan G. Komen Chandini Portteus says, “We have funded close to $8 million specifically to research omega-3s. The evidence in the biology and function is there.”
After analyzing the data from 21 studies which examined the relationship between omega-3 fatty acid consumption from a host of marine sources and breast cancer in 883,585 women, Zhejiang University researchers in Hangzhou, China, concludes that taking 100 mg of fish oils daily slashed the risk of developing breast cancer by 5 percent. Those who consumed the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 14 percent less likely to be diagnosed with the disease than those who took the least amount.
In the data, the source of the fish oil was not specified; however, the findings supported fish-based types of omega-3 with EPA and DHA as reducing the risk of breast cancer, while DPA and plant-based ALA did not seem to have an effect.
Duo Li, PhD, professor of nutrition in the department of food science and nutrition at Zhejiang University wrote that the recommendation is to take a daily supplement that delivers 100 mg of the fish-based omega-3 fatty acids rather than to obtain it consuming fish. He stated that pollutants in fish flesh, such as organometallics and pesticides, could blunt the shielding effects of the fatty acids.
Family History
Everyone is at a different risk for breast cancer. Some people have a higher risk based on genetics and family history. By knowing your risk and the behaviors that may help prevent the disease, we can take precautions against breast cancer.