Some of the most important revelations about decreasing recurrence rates in women with breast cancer are related to lifestyle changes that are in your control. An important study called the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) found that women with prior breast cancer who reduced fat in their diet reduced their risk of cancer occurrence compared with women who did not. The women who had the greatest decrease in the risk of recurrence were triple-negative breast cancer (i.e., estrogen negative, progesterone negative, Her-2 negative). These women also lost on average about 5-6 pounds as a result of this type of diet.An important and encouraging aspect of this finding is that hormone receptor negative women were favorably impacted by this intervention and for these women there is no addtional adjuvant drug such as tamoxifen used in hormone receptor postive breast cancers to reduce the liklihood of recurrence. Thus a lifestyle intervention is providing hormone receptor negative survivors with a way of limiting their risk of recurrence. Other scientific evidence is rapidly accumulating regarding the survival benefits of physical actiivity, nutritional choices and weight management, leading the medical community to conclude that the most important things survivors can do to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence is to follow three lifestyle imperatives: eat a low-fat diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables; engage in a minimum of 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical acitivity such as walking a day, seven days a week; and drink no more than three alcoholic beverages a week.
Some of the most important revelations about decreasing recurrence
rates in women with breast cancer are related to lifestyle changes
that are in your control. An important study called the Women's
Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) found...
More
Some of the most important revelations about decreasing recurrence rates in women with breast cancer are related to lifestyle changes that are in your control. An important study called the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) found that women with prior breast cancer who reduced fat in their diet reduced their risk of cancer occurrence compared with women who did not. The women who had the greatest decrease in the risk of recurrence were triple-negative breast cancer (i.e., estrogen negative, progesterone negative, Her-2 negative). These women also lost on average about 5-6 pounds as a result of this type of diet.An important and encouraging aspect of this finding is that hormone receptor negative women were favorably impacted by this intervention and for these women there is no addtional adjuvant drug such as tamoxifen used in hormone receptor postive breast cancers to reduce the liklihood of recurrence. Thus a lifestyle intervention is providing hormone receptor negative survivors with a way of limiting their risk of recurrence. Other scientific evidence is rapidly accumulating regarding the survival benefits of physical actiivity, nutritional choices and weight management, leading the medical community to conclude that the most important things survivors can do to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence is to follow three lifestyle imperatives: eat a low-fat diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables; engage in a minimum of 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical acitivity such as walking a day, seven days a week; and drink no more than three alcoholic beverages a week.
Dr. Kathleen Hall answered:Simple lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of tumor recurrence in breast cancer survivors. A study of more than 2,400 women with early breast cancer who followed a low fat diet were 25 percent less likely to have their cancer return in five years than the women who continued to eat their typical diets. The goal was to reduce dietary fat intake to 20 percent or less of the total daily calories. Women in the study who followed the low fat diet went from 51 grams per day of fat to about 33 grams of fat per day, or from 29 percent to 21 percent of their total daily calories. This study was presented at the annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology. Fats in our diet have been linked to the most common cancers, including breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
Find out more about this book: A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness
