Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of breast cancer by hormone receptor status

Altered salivary microbiota associated with high-sugar beverage consumption

The human oral microbiome may alter oral and systemic disease risk. Consuming high sugar content beverages (HSB) can lead to caries development by altering the microbial composition in dental plaque, but little is known regarding HSB-specific oral microbial alterations. Therefore, we conducted a large, population-based study to examine associations of HSB intake with oral microbiome diversity and composition. Using mouthwash samples of 989 individuals in two nationwide U.S. cohorts, bacterial 16S rRNA genes were amplified, sequenced, and assigned to bacterial taxa. HSB intake was quantified from food frequency questionnaires as low (< 1 serving/week), medium (1-3 servings/week), or high (> 3 servings/week). We assessed overall bacterial diversity and presence of specific taxa with respect to HSB intake in each cohort separately and combined in a meta-analysis. Consistently in the two cohorts, we found lower species richness in high HSB consumers (> 3 cans/week) (p = 0.027), and that overall bacterial community profiles differed from those of non-consumers (PERMANOVA p = 0.040). Specifically, presence of a network of commensal bacteria (Lachnospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, and Alloprevotella rava) was less common in high compared to non-consumers, as were other species including Campylobacter showae, Prevotella oulorum, and Mycoplasma faucium. Presence of acidogenic bacteria Bifodobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus rhamnosus was more common in high consumers. Abundance of Fusobacteriales and its genus Leptotrichia, Lachnoanaerobaculum sp., and Campylobacter were lower with higher HSB consumption, and their abundances were correlated. No significant interaction was found for these associations with diabetic status or with microbial markers for caries (S. mutans) and periodontitis (P. gingivalis). Our results suggest that soft drink intake may alter the salivary microbiota, with consistent results across two independent cohorts. The observed perturbations of overrepresented acidogenic bacteria and underrepresented commensal bacteria in high HSB consumers may have implications for oral and systemic disease risk.

Lifetime dairy product consumption and breast cancer risk: a prospective cohort study by tumor subtypes

BACKGROUND

Previous literature on dairy products and risk of breast cancer is inconsistent, and the relationship may depend on the life-period of dietary assessment.

OBJECTIVE

We examined dairy consumption from adolescence through later adulthood and incidence of breast cancer by menopausal status and tumor molecular subtypes in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), a prospective cohort study.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 63,847 females in the NHS collected from 1980 to 2018. Average intake of dairy products during adulthood was assessed by validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires throughout follow-up. Participants recalled adolescent dietary intake in 1986. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) relating dairy product consumption to breast cancer risk overall, by menopausal status, and by subtypes.

RESULTS

We documented 5733 incident cases of invasive breast cancer during 32 y of follow-up (n = 5298 postmenopausal). Lifetime, adolescent, adulthood, and postmenopausal total dairy and milk intakes were not associated with overall breast cancer risk (nonsignificant HRs comparing highest with lowest quintile range = 0.97-1.08), although there was a suggestive positive association between adolescent milk intake and breast cancer risk (HR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.18). Higher lifetime and premenopausal cheese intakes were associated with modestly lower risks of breast cancer (comparing highest with lowest quintile, HR for lifetime cheese intake: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.98; HR for premenopausal cheese intake: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.00). Results varied by tumor subtype and some evidence for heterogeneity was observed for an association between premenopausal milk intake and breast cancer (HR for estrogen receptor [ER]-positive: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.99; ER-negative: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.84; P heterogeneity = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that overall dairy consumption was not associated with risk of breast cancer. However, heterogeneity was observed for type of dairy food, period of life, and tumor subtypes.

Recent Advances in Drug Discovery for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most heterogeneous and aggressive breast cancer subtypes with a high risk of death on recurrence. To date, TNBC is very difficult to treat due to the lack of an effective targeted therapy. However, recent advances in the molecular characterization of TNBC are encouraging the development of novel drugs and therapeutic combinations for its therapeutic management. In the present review, we will provide an overview of the currently available standard therapies and new emerging therapeutic strategies against TNBC, highlighting the promises that newly developed small molecules, repositioned drugs, and combination therapies have of improving treatment efficacy against these tumors.

Research on Health Disparities: Strategies and Findings From the Black Women's Health Study

The American Journal of Epidemiology has been a platform for findings from the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS) that are relevant to health disparities. Topics addressed have included methods of follow-up of a large cohort of Black women, disparities in health-care delivery, modifiable risk factors for health conditions that disproportionately affect Black women, associations with exposures that are highly prevalent in Black women, and methods for genetic research. BWHS papers have also highlighted the importance of considering social context, including perceived experiences of racism, in understanding health disparities. In the future, BWHS investigators will contribute to documentation of the role that structural racism plays in health disparities.

Causal relationship between dietary factors and breast cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study

Background

Previous studies have discovered an association between dietary factors and breast cancer. However, few studies have used Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the potential causal relationship between dietary factors and breast cancer.

Methods

The exposure datasets for fresh fruit intake, dried fruit intake, salad/raw vegetable intake, cooked vegetable intake, oily fish intake, non-oily fish intake, cheese intake, and bread intake were obtained from the UK Biobank. The outcome dataset was extracted from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). We used the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary approach for the two-sample MR analysis. To ensure the accuracy of the results, we conducted heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy analyses. Additionally, multivariable MR analysis was conducted to ensure the stability of the results.

Results

Dried fruit intake was found to be a protective factor for overall breast cancer (outliers excluded: OR: 0.549; 95 % CI: 0.429-0.702; p = 1.75 × 10-6). Subtype analyses showed that dried fruit intake was inversely associated with both estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (outliers excluded: OR: 0.669; 95 % CI: 0.512-0.875; p = 0.003) and ER-negative (ER-) breast cancer (OR: 0.559; 95 % CI: 0.379-0.827; p = 0.004), while fresh fruit intake was inversely associated with ER- breast cancer (excluded outliers: OR: 0.510; 95 % CI: 0.308-0.846; p = 0.009). No significant causal relationship was found between other dietary intakes and breast cancer. After adjusting for the effects of possible confounders, the causal relationships found by the two-sample MR analysis remained.

Conclusion

Our study provides evidence that dried fruit intake may reduce the risk of both ER+ and ER- breast cancer, and fresh fruit intake may reduce the risk of ER- breast cancer. Other factors included in this study were not linked to breast cancer.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: 21st Century Advances, Gaps to Address through Interdisciplinary Science

Research methods to study risk factors and prevention of breast cancer have evolved rapidly. We focus on advances from epidemiologic studies reported over the past two decades addressing scientific discoveries, as well as their clinical and public health translation for breast cancer risk reduction. In addition to reviewing methodology advances such as widespread assessment of mammographic density and Mendelian randomization, we summarize the recent evidence with a focus on the timing of exposure and windows of susceptibility. We summarize the implications of the new evidence for application in risk stratification models and clinical translation to focus prevention-maximizing benefits and minimizing harm. We conclude our review identifying research gaps. These include: pathways for the inverse association of vegetable intake and estrogen receptor (ER)-ve tumors, prepubertal and adolescent diet and risk, early life adiposity reducing lifelong risk, and gaps from changes in habits (e.g., vaping, binge drinking), and environmental exposures.

Chemoprevention and Lifestyle Modifications for Risk Reduction in Sporadic and Hereditary Breast Cancer

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Risk assessment helps to identify women at increased risk of breast cancer and allows the adoption of a comprehensive approach to reducing breast cancer incidence through personalized interventions, including lifestyle modification, chemoprevention, intensified surveillance with breast imaging, genetic counseling, and testing. Primary prevention means acting on modifiable risk factors to reduce breast cancer occurrence. Chemoprevention with tamoxifen, raloxifene, anastrozole, and exemestane has already shown benefits in decreasing breast cancer incidence in women at an increased risk for breast cancer. For healthy women carrying BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants, the efficacy of chemoprevention is still controversial. Adopting chemoprevention strategies and the choice among agents should depend on the safety profile and risk-benefit ratio. Unfortunately, the uptake of these agents has been low. Lifestyle modifications can reduce breast cancer incidence, and the recommendations for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 P/LP germline variant carriers are comparable to the general population. This review summarizes the most recent evidence regarding the efficacy of chemoprevention and lifestyle interventions in women with sporadic and hereditary breast cancer.

A Concise Review on Natural Products and Their Derivatives for Breast Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Among other cancers, breast cancer has been found to produce maximum number of cases in 2020. Different factors including geographical, genetic, hormonal, oral contraceptives and modern lifestyle could be responsible for the development of breast cancer and different pathways can be targeted for breast cancer treatment. The various conventional approaches used for the treatment of breast cancer including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone and immunotherapy. But due to the side effects associated with these conventional treatments such as non-selectivity, multidrug resistance and bioavailability, there is a need for the development of better therapeutic agents for breast cancer treatment. Several natural products have been explored for breast cancer treatment. However, many of these natural products suffered from the limitations of poor water solubility and possess toxic side effects. To overcome these limitations, several structural analogs of natural products have been synthesized and possess potent anti-breast cancer effects with less side effects over their precursor molecules. In the present manuscript, we describe the pathogenesis of breast cancer, some potent natural products used in the treatment of breast cancer and their selected structural analogs possessing potent anti-breast cancer effects. Database such as Science direct, Pubmed and Google scholar were searched using keywords 'risk factors', 'screening methods','receptors', and 'natural products and derivatives', Registered clinical trials on selected natural products were also analyzed. Present study concludes that eight selected natural products and their derivatives possess wide potential to exhibit anti-breast cancer effects and could be explored further to develop better chemotherapeutic agents against breast cancer.

Host Microbiomes Influence the Effects of Diet on Inflammation and Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and there is a growing appreciation for the complex involvement of diet, microbiomes, and inflammatory processes culminating in tumorigenesis. Although research has significantly improved our understanding of the various factors involved in different cancers, the underlying mechanisms through which these factors influence tumor cells and their microenvironment remain to be completely understood. In particular, interactions between the different microbiomes, specific dietary factors, and host cells mediate both local and systemic immune responses, thereby influencing inflammation and tumorigenesis. Developing an improved understanding of how different microbiomes, beyond just the colonic microbiome, can interact with dietary factors to influence inflammatory processes and tumorigenesis will support our ability to better understand the potential for microbe-altering and dietary interventions for these patients in future.

Adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet reduces the risk of breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Despite increasing evidence for the association of adherence to the Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet with breast cancer risk, the results remain inconclusive. The purpose of the current systematic review was to summarize the evidence from previous observational studies and explore the potential association between DASH diet and breast cancer risk using meta-analysis.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang Data to identify the relevant publications from inception up to July 2022. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the highest versus the lowest categories of DASH score in relation to breast cancer risk, using a random-effects model. The Cochran's Q test and I-squared (I ²) statistic were used to detect the sources of heterogeneity among the included studies.

Results

Overall, eleven studies, involving 23,254 breast cancer cases and 449,273 participants, were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Combining 16 effect sizes from 11 studies, a significant inverse association between adherence to the DASH diet and risk of breast cancer was observed (RR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.90, P < 0.0001). Stratified analysis showed a significant association between adherence to the DASH diet and risk of breast cancer in case-control studies (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27-0.89, P = 0.019), and a marginally significant association in prospective cohort studies (RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.86-0.98, P = 0.014), respectively. Besides, a more significant association between DASH score and reduced risk of breast cancer was observed in Asian countries (RR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.31-0.81, P = 0.005) than in the United States (RR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99, P = 0.012). Similarly, when we conducted analyses separately by menopausal status, we found a significant inverse association between DASH diet and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women (RR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.39-0.87, P = 0.008).

Conclusion

The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate a significant inverse association between adherence to the DASH diet and risk of breast cancer. Further large prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are required to confirm our findings.

Fangchinoline abrogates growth and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma by negative regulation of c-met/HGF and its associated downstream signaling pathways

Among all cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a lethal disease with limited treatment options. In this study, we have analyzed the possible inhibitory effects of Fangchinoline (FCN) on c-Met, a protein known to regulate the rapid phosphorylation of downstream signals, as well as mediate aberrant growth, metastasis, survival, and motility in cancer. FCN inhibited the activation of c-Met and its downstream signals PI3K, AKT, mTOR, MEK, and ERK under in vitro settings. Moreover, c-Met gene silencing lead to suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, and induced apoptotic cell death upon exposure to FCN. In addition, FCN markedly inhibited the expression of the various oncogenic proteins such as Bcl-2/xl, survivin, IAP-1/2, cyclin D1, and COX-2. In vivo studies in HepG2 cells xenograft mouse model showed that FCN could significantly attenuate the tumor volume and weight, without affecting significant loss in the body weight. Similar to in vitro studies, expression level of c-Met and PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MEK/ERK signals was also suppressed by FCN in the tissues obtained from mice. Therefore, the novel findings of this study suggest that FCN can potentially function as a potent anticancer agent against HCC.

Eating Habits, Risk of Breast Cancer, and Diet-Dependent Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women after Mastectomy

The present study examined dietary risk factors for breast cancer, their association with quality of life, and changes in eating habits in postmenopausal women after mastectomy. The study included 210 women with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer and 225 women without a cancer diagnosis. Questionnaire data on frequency of intake of 40 different foods, the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, and SF-36 for evaluation of quality of life were used. All questionnaire data in the patient group were collected after diagnosis. Questions about eating habits covered two time points—before breast cancer diagnosis and after completion of treatment. Logistic regression was applied to calculate the odds ratios of breast cancer risk and 95% confidence intervals. A significant positive association was found between the risk of breast cancer and more frequent intake of red meat, smoked products, offal, animal fat, white bread, potatoes, and sweets, high intake of total fat, and low consumption of dietary fibre. Foods that were inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer included fish, vegetables, fruit, wholemeal bread, and groats. The relationship between quality of life and dietary habits according to the Block Eating Frequency Questionnaire was analysed using multiple regression. It was shown that high intake of total fat reduces the quality of life in its mental components. We observed a positive change in eating habits after cancer diagnosis, albeit not always to the level in the control group. As an important lifestyle component, the diet is of great significance for primary prevention of breast cancer as well as for improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

Diabetes risk reduction diet and the risk of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes and insulin levels may increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. In the present investigation, we aimed at evaluating whether adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) lowers the risk of breast cancer.

METHODS

We used data from an Italian, multicentric case-control study (1991-1994) including 2569 incident histologically-confirmed breast cancer cases and 2588 hospital controls. A food frequency questionnaire collected subjects' usual diet. We derived a DRRD score on the basis of eight items: intake of cereal fiber, total fruit, coffee, polyunsaturated to saturated fats ratio and nuts (higher scores for higher intakes), and dietary glycemic index, red/processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices (higher scores for lower intakes). The score theoretically ranged 8-37, with higher values indicating greater DRRD adherence. Odds ratios (ORs) of breast cancer according to the DRRD score were estimated using multiple logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The DRRD score was inversely related to the risk of breast cancer. The ORs were 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89-0.98] for a three-point score increment and 0.76 (95% CI, 0.64-0.89) for the highest versus the lowest quartile (P for trend 0.001). Inverse associations were observed in subgroups of covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher DRRD adherence may decrease the risk of breast cancer.

Association of Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity with Cancer Recurrence and Mortality among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Cohort Study

Antioxidants decrease the risk of breast cancer by reducing oxidative stress, but the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and cancer recurrence has not yet been investigated. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that DTAC is inversely associated with cancer recurrence and mortality in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer patients (n = 603) who underwent breast cancer surgery and a dietary survey within 5 years after surgery were recruited. This study observed disease-free survival (DFS) and mortality in breast cancer patients according to DTAC calculated based on 24-hr dietary recall. Total DTAC was significantly lower in patients with cancer recurrence than in those without. DFS was positively associated with the total DTAC (p = 0.005) and DTAC of vegetables and legumes (p = 0.001 and p = 0.010), respectively. However, total DTAC was not associated with mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that total DTAC (HR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.94) and DTAC of vegetables (HR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.14-0.65) and legumes (HR: 0.38, 95% CI 0.18-0.73) were inversely associated with cancer recurrence after adjusting for confounding factors. This study was the first to indicate that total DTAC and DTAC of vegetables and legumes could be beneficial in decreasing breast cancer recurrence.

Adherence to the Vegetable-Fruit-Soy Dietary Pattern, a Reference From Mediterranean Diet, Protects Against Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Among Chinese Women

Background

The diet-center hypothesis has gained much support from the apparent protective effect of the Mediterranean diet on breast cancer. However, the evidence of the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and breast cancer molecular subtypes remains small, especially in non-Mediterranean populations.

Methods

The subjects from the Chinese Wuxi Exposure and Breast Cancer Study, a population-based case-control study, included 818 patients and 935 healthy controls. A validated food frequency questionnaire used for diet assessment and a modified version of the alternate Mediterranean Diet Score, which is called the alternate Chinese Diet Score, was developed to assess adherence to a migrated Chinese version of the Mediterranean diet, which we called the vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern. Soy foods, rapeseed oil, and coarse cereals replaced legumes, olive oil, and whole grains reflecting the cuisine of the region. We examined the association between the vegetable-fruit-soy diet adherence and breast cancer risk, stratified by menopause status (pre- or postmenopausal) and receptor status [estrogen-receptor (ER), progesterone-receptor (PR) status, and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)] oncogene expression, followed by five specific combinations (ER+, ER–, ER+/PR+,ER–/PR–, and ER–/PR–/HER2–).

Results

The results suggest that the vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern was inversely associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk [4th vs. 1st quartile, odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.41, 0.80; P trend < 0.001] and that the inverse association was somewhat stronger to detect among ER- subtypes (OR = 0.63; 95%CI = 0.37, 0.94; P trend = 0.003) and ER–/PR–subtypes (OR = 0.64; 95%CI = 0.41, 0.93; P trend = 0.012). We did not observe any significant association between the vegetable-fruit-soy diet characteristics and ER+ subtype, as well as between PR+ and ER+/PR+ subtypes.

Conclusion

The favorable influence from the Mediterranean diet may also apply to Chinese women. The vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern may reduce the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, particularly among ER- subtype, and ER–/PR–subtype.

Bioactive compounds in lettuce: Highlighting the benefits to human health and impacts of preharvest and postharvest practices

Lettuce is one of the most commonly consumed leafy vegetables worldwide and is available throughout the entire year. Lettuce is also a significant source of natural phytochemicals. These compounds, including glycosylated flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, the vitamin B groups, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and sesquiterpene lactones, are essential nutritional bioactive compounds. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the composition of health-promoting compounds in different types of lettuce, the potential health benefits of lettuce in reducing the risks of chronic diseases, and the effect of preharvest and postharvest practices on the biosynthesis and accumulation of health-promoting compounds in lettuce.

Influence of a Multidisciplinary Program of Diet, Exercise, and Mindfulness on the Quality of Life of Stage IIA-IIB Breast Cancer Survivors

Background: Integrative oncology has proven to be a useful approach to control cancer symptoms and improve the quality of life (QoL) and overall health of patients, delivering integrated patient care at both physical and emotional levels. The objective of this randomized trial was to evaluate the effects of a triple intervention program on the QoL and lifestyle of women with breast cancer. Methods: Seventy-five survivors of stage IIA-IIB breast cancer were randomized into 2 groups. The intervention group (IG) received a 6-month dietary, exercise, and mindfulness program that was not offered to the control group (CG). Data were gathered at baseline and at 6 months postintervention on QoL and adherence to Mediterranean diet using clinical markers and validated questionnaires. Between-group differences at baseline and 3 months postintervention were analyzed using Student's t test for related samples and the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: At 6 months postintervention, the IG showed significant improvements versus CG in physical functioning (p = .027), role functioning (p = .028), and Mediterranean diet adherence (p = .02) and a significant reduction in body mass index (p = .04) and weight (p = .05), with a mean weight loss of 0.7 kg versus a gain of 0.55 kg by the CG (p = .05). Dyspnea symptoms were also increased in the CG versus IG (p = .066). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that an integrative dietary, physical activity, and mindfulness program enhances the QoL and healthy lifestyle of stage IIA-IIB breast cancer survivors. Cancer symptoms may be better managed by the implementation of multimodal rather than isolated interventions.

Dietary inflammatory potential, oxidative balance score, and risk of breast cancer: Findings from the Sister Study

Diet, inflammation, and oxidative stress may be important in breast carcinogenesis, but evidence on the role of the inflammatory and prooxidative potential of dietary patterns is limited. Energy adjusted-Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII™) and dietary oxidative balance score (D-OBS) were calculated for 43 563 Sister Study cohort participants who completed a Block 1998 food frequency questionnaire at enrollment in 2003-2009 and satisfied eligibility criteria. D-OBS was validated using measured F2 -isoprostanes and metabolites. High E-DII score and low D-OBS represent a more proinflammatory and prooxidant diet, respectively, and associations of quartiles of each index with breast cancer (BC) risk were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. There were 2619 BCs diagnosed at least 1 year after enrollment (mean follow-up 8.4 years). There was no overall association between E-DII and BC risk, whereas there was a suggestive inverse association for the highest vs lowest quartile of D-OBS (HR 0.92 [95% CI, 0.81-1.03]). The highest quartile of E-DII was associated with risk of triple-negative BC (HR 1.53 [95% CI, 0.99-2.35]). When the two indices were combined, a proinflammatory/prooxidant diet (highest tertile of E-DII and lowest tertile of D-OBS) was associated with increased risk for all BC (HR 1.13 [95% CI, 1.00-1.27]) and for triple-negative BC (1.72 [95% CI, 1.10-2.70]), compared to an antiinflammatory/antioxidant diet (lowest tertile of E-DII and highest tertile of D-OBS). Diets with increased inflammatory potential and reduced oxidative balance were positively associated with overall and triple-negative BC.

Higher Fruits and Vegetables Consumption Is not Associated with Risk of Breast Cancer in Iranian Women

We aimed to investigate the association of fruits and vegetables (FVs) and their all subgroups intakes with breast cancer (BC) risk in Iranian women.

The present case-control study conducted on 150 age-matched women with newly diagnosed BC and apparently healthy controls. Anthropometric measures were collected and eventually, the mean intakes of total FVs and each subgroup were obtained from a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Our findings revealed that the intake of only dark yellow vegetable was significantly higher in BC patients (P = 0.03) after controlling for covariates. OR of BC across tertiles of FVs intake, showed that there was not any statistical association of total FVs (OR: 1.83, CI: 0.54-6.24, P-trend = 0.3) and their subgroups intakes with BC risk. Except for berry fruits intake which was adversely associated with BC risk (OR: 0.36, CI: 0.09-1.37, P-trend = 0.02).

Our findings did not support the hypothesis that higher total FVs and their subgroups intakes reduce BC risk and suggested that only higher berry fruits intake may have an association with lower BC risk.

Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and Risk of Breast Cancer in U.S. Women: Results from the Nurses' Health Studies

BACKGROUND

Plant-based diets have been associated with lower risk of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the association between plant-based diet quality and breast cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

We prospectively followed 76,690 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1984-2016) and 93,295 women from the NHSII (1991-2017). Adherence to an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), a healthful PDI (hPDI), and an unhealthful PDI (uPDI) was assessed using previously developed indices. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident invasive breast cancer.

RESULTS

Over 4,841,083 person-years of follow-up, we documented 12,482 incident invasive breast cancer cases. Women with greater adherence to PDI and hPDI were at modestly lower risk of breast cancer [(HR_{Q5 vs. Q1}, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.95); (HR_{Q5 vs. Q1}, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94)]. We observed significant heterogeneity by estrogen receptor (ER) status, with the strongest inverse association between hPDI and breast cancer observed with ER-negative tumors [HR_{Q5 vs. Q1}, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.90; P _trend < 0.01]. We also found an inverse association between extreme quintiles of healthy plant foods and ER-negative breast cancer [HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.88; P _trend < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that adherence to a healthful plant-based diet may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially those that are more likely to be aggressive tumors.

IMPACT

This is the first prospective study investigating the relation between healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary indices and risk of total and subtype-specific breast cancer.

Fruit and vegetable consumption and incident breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies

BACKGROUND

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to clarify the relation of fruit and vegetable consumption with incident breast cancer.

METHODS

We searched systematically PubMed and EMBASE databases up to November 2020 to include prospective studies that reported the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with incident breast cancer. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the highest versus the lowest category of total fruit and vegetable, total fruit and total vegetable consumption, as well as fruit juice and subgroups of vegetables in relation to breast cancer incidence, using a random-effect model.

RESULTS

Total fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with lower overall (RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.87-0.95) and postmenopausal breast cancer risk (RR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79-0.99). Total fruit consumption was associated with lower overall (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.88-0.99) and postmenopausal breast cancer risk (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.87-0.99). Total fruit and vegetable intake were associated with 11% and 26% lower risk of oestrogen- and progesterone-receptor-positive (ER+/PR+) and -negative (ER-/PR-) breast cancer, respectively. Total vegetable consumption was associated with 27% lower risk of ER-/PR- breast cancer. Fruit juice consumption was associated with increased overall breast cancer risk (RR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.07). We did not find significant associations for subgroups of vegetable intake and breast cancer risk.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that high total fruit and vegetable consumption are associated with reduced risk of overall, postmenopausal, ER+/PR+ and ER-/PR- breast cancer.

Antitumor Effects of Freeze-Dried Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora) Extracts on Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Coffee consumption is believed to have chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects and to contribute to preventing the development and progression of cancer. However, there is still controversy around these claims. As indicated in our previous works, diet can influence the risk of breast cancer. Intake of coffee is hypothesized to reduce this risk, but current scientific evidence is not conclusive. This work is aimed at studying the effects of Robusta coffee bean extract on cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis of different human cancers, especially breast cancer cell lines. To this end, cell viability was evaluated by Alamar Blue in 2D and 3D models, the cell cycle by PI, apoptosis by annexin V, mitochondrial morphology, and functionality by mitoTracker, and colony formation capacity by the clonogenic assay. Green and dark coffee extract significantly reduced viability in human breast, colorectal, brain, and bone cancer cells. Coffee anticancer activity was clearly evidenced in MDA-MB-231 (ER⁻) and MCF-7 (ER⁺) breast cancer cells but not in the normal breast cell line. In addition, coffee extract induces an increase S phase and a decrease G2/M population in breast cancer cells, affected the mitochondrial morphology, and triggered apoptosis. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells lost their clonogenic capacity after treatment. The antitumor activity was demonstrated in both 2D and 3D culture cell models.

Disposition of Dietary Polyphenols in Breast Cancer Patients' Tumors, and Their Associated Anticancer Activity: The Particular Case of Curcumin

SCOPE

Some polyphenol-derived metabolites reach human breast cancer (BC) tissues at concentrations that induce cell senescence. However, this is unknown for isoflavones, curcuminoids, and lignans. Here, their metabolic profiling in normal (NT) and malignant (MT) mammary tissues of newly-diagnosed BC patients and the tissue-occurring metabolites' anticancer activity are evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients (n = 26) consumed 3 capsules/day (turmeric, red clover, and flaxseed extracts plus resveratrol; 296.4 mg phenolics/capsule) from biopsy-confirmed diagnosis to surgery (5 ± 2 days) or did not consume capsules (n = 13). NT and MT, blood, and urine are analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS using targeted metabolomics. Anticancer activity was tested in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 BC cells. Mainly phase-II metabolites were detected (108, 84, 49, and 47 in urine, plasma, NT, and MT, respectively). Total metabolite concentrations reached 10.7 ± 11.1 and 2.5 ± 2.4 µmol L^-1 in NT and MT, respectively. Free curcumin, but not its glucuronide, was detected in the tissues (1.1 ± 1.8 and 0.2 ± 0.2 µmol L^-1 in NT and MT, respectively). Breast tissue-occurring metabolites' antiproliferation was mainly exerted in p53-wild-type MCF-7 cells by curcuminoids through cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis induction via p53/p21 induction, while isoflavone-derived metabolites exerted estrogenic-like activity.

CONCLUSION

Curcuminoids could be coadjuvants that might help fight BC upon regular consumption.

Potato Consumption and Risk of Site-Specific Cancers in Adults: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

The etiology of cancer type may vary significantly due to anatomy, embryology, and physiology of the cancer site. Although the association between potato consumption and colorectal cancer (CRC) was summarized in a 2018 meta-analysis of 5 cohort studies, to the best of our knowledge, no meta-analysis has evaluated potato consumption in relation to multiple cancer sites in adults. Medline/PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for relevant publications through August 2020. We selected cohort or case-control studies conducted in adults that reported risk estimates (relative risk [RRs], HRs, and ORs) of potato intake for any cancer type. Random effects meta-analyses compared high and low intake categories. Twenty prospective cohort studies (total n = 785,348) including 19,882 incident cases, and 36 case-control studies (21,822 cases; 66,502 controls) were included. Among cohort studies, we did not find an association between high versus low intake of total potato (white and yellow) consumption and overall cancers: 1.04 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.11; tau2 = 0.005, n = 18). We found no relation between total potato consumption (high compared with low intake) and risk of CRC, pancreatic cancer, colon, gastric, breast, prostate, kidney, lung, or bladder cancer in cohort or case-control studies. We did not find an association between high versus low consumption of potato preparations (boiled/fried/mashed/roasted/baked) and risk of gastrointestinal-, sex-hormone-, or urinary-related cancers in cohort or case-control studies. Certainty of the evidence was low for total cancer, CRC, colon, rectal, renal, pancreatic, breast, prostate, and lung cancer and very low for gastric and bladder cancer. In conclusion, potato intake or potato preparations were not associated with multiple cancer sites when comparing high and low intake categories. This finding was consistent with the findings from the 2018 meta-analysis regarding potato intake and risk of CRC.

Cancer and stress: NextGen strategies

Chronic stress is well-known to cause physiological distress that leads to body balance perturbations by altering signaling pathways in the neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous systems. This increases allostatic load, which is the cost of physiological fluctuations that are required to cope with psychological challenges as well as changes in the physical environment. Recent studies have enriched our knowledge about the role of chronic stress in disease development, especially carcinogenesis. Stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), resulting in an abnormal release of hormones. These activate signaling pathways that elevate expression of downstream oncogenes. This occurs by activation of specific receptors that promote numerous cancer biological processes, including proliferation, genomic instability, angiogenesis, metastasis, immune evasion and metabolic disorders. Moreover, accumulating evidence has revealed that β-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) antagonists and downstream target inhibitors exhibit remarkable anti-tumor effects. Psychosomatic behavioral interventions (PBI) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) also effectively relieve the impact of stress in cancer patients. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for stress in promoting malignancies. Collectively, these data provide approaches for NextGen pharmacological therapies, PBI and TCM to reduce the burden of tumorigenesis.

Diet Before and After Breast Cancer

The incidence of breast cancer has dramatically increased recently in several Asian countries. This region has experienced rapid economic growth and demographic and environmental changes. Breast cancer rates vary substantially among countries, with a lower incidence in developing countries than that in Western countries. Given the upward trend of breast cancer incidence in Asian countries and the large variation in incidence around the world, dietary changes may contribute to breast cancer development. In particular, nutrients and foods from animal sources have drawn attention as potential causes of breast cancer given that obesity and energy balance appear to be important factors associated with breast cancer risk. However, prospective cohort and intervention studies do not support the hypothesis that diet in middle life influences breast cancer development. However, recent studies have provided better insight into the roles of dietary factors in specific types of breast cancers, such as estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer. Some studies suggest that diet in early life may play a substantial role in breast cancer development, but data and evidence remain limited.Although etiologic and epidemiologic studies have long studied modifiable risk factors for breast cancer incidence, much remains to be explored regarding the role of diet after a breast cancer diagnosis. Several epidemiologic studies have explored the factors that improve breast cancer survival rates, including diet, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). While there is evidence of the effect of BMI on breast cancer mortality, the effects of changing dietary habits after a breast cancer diagnosis on survival or recurrence are less clear. A report of the World Cancer Research Fund stated that evidence was not sufficient to draw firm conclusions about the effect of diet and nutrition on breast cancer prognosis, but it did suggest a link between diet and breast cancer survival.The global burden of breast cancer is increasing and breast cancer is a major and emerging health problem in both developed and developing countries. For example, the five-year survival rate for Korean breast cancer patients has improved from 78.0% in 1993-1995 to 92.7% in 2012-2016. This improvement emphasizes the importance of supportive care, diet, and quality of life for breast cancer survivors. However, we have limited data of non-Western breast cancer survivors. There is a need to examine the role of diet in breast cancer survival in both Western and non-Western regions.

Intake of Various Food Groups and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

Despite increasing evidence for the association of food-based dietary patterns with breast cancer risk, knowledge about the shape of the relationship and the quality of meta-evidence are insufficient. We aimed to summarize the associations between food groups and risks of breast cancer. We performed a systematic literature search of the PubMed and Embase databases up to March 2020. We included cohort, case-cohort, nested case-control studies, and follow-up studies of randomized controlled trials that investigated the relationship between breast cancer risk and at least 1 of the following food groups: red meat, processed meat, fish, poultry, egg, vegetables, fruit, dairy product (overall, milk, yogurt, and cheese), grains/cereals, nuts, legumes, soy, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Summary risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using a random-effects model for linear and nonlinear relationships. Inverse linear associations were observed for vegetables (RR per 100 g/d, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99), fruit (RR per 100 g/d, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99), cheese (RR per 30 g/d, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00), and soy (RR per 30 g/d, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99), while positive associations were observed for red (RR per 100 g/d, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18) and processed meat (RR per 50 g/d, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04-1.33). None of the other food groups were significantly associated with breast cancer risk. A nonlinear association was observed only for milk, such that the intake of >450 g/d increased the risk, while no association was observed for lower intake amounts. High intakes of vegetables, fruit, cheese, and soy products and low intakes of red and processed meat were associated with lower risks of breast cancer. However, causality cannot be inferred from these statistical correlations.

Breast cancer risk factors in Iran: a systematic review & meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer is known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and it is increasing globally. There are a variety of proven and controversial risk factors for this malignancy. Herein, we aimed to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis focus on the epidemiology of breast cancer risk factors in Iran.

METHODS

We performed a systematic search via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Persian databases for identifying studies published on breast cancer risk factors up to March 2019. Meta-analyses were done for risk factors reported in more than one study. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a fixed/random-effects models.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine studies entered into the meta-analysis. Pooling of ORs showed a significant harmful effect for risk factors including family history (OR: 1.80, 95%CI 1.47-2.12), hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) (OR: 5.48, 95%CI 0.84-1.74), passive smokers (OR: 1.68, 95%CI 1.34-2.03), full-term pregnancy at age 30 (OR: 3.41, 95%CI 1.19-5.63), abortion (OR: 1.84, 95%CI 1.35-2.33), sweets consumption (OR: 1.71, 95%CI 1.32-2.11) and genotype Arg/Arg (crude OR: 1.59, 95%CI 1.07-2.10), whereas a significant protective effect for late menarche (OR: 0.58, 95%CI 0.32-0.83), nulliparity (OR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.39-0.96), 13-24 months of breastfeeding (OR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.46-0.90), daily exercise (OR: 0.59, 95%CI 0.44-0.73) and vegetable consumption (crude OR: 0.28, 95%CI 0.10-0.46).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that factors such as family history, HRT, passive smokers, late full-term pregnancy, abortion, sweets consumption and genotype Arg/Arg might increase risk of breast cancer development, whereas late menarche, nulliparity, 13-24 months breastfeeding, daily exercise and vegetable consumption had an inverse association with breast cancer development.

The hispanic landscape of triple negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous and complex disease characterized by the absence of immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2. These breast tumors present an aggressive biology and offer few opportunities to be treated with targeted therapy resulting in bad disease outcomes. The epidemiology of TNBC is intriguing where the understanding of its biology has progressed quickly. One of the peculiarities of this type of cancer is a high prevalence in Afrodescendants and Hispanic patients compared to Caucasian women. In this review we describe some features of TNBC, focusing in the Hispanic population, such as epidemiological, clinicopathological features and molecular features and the correlation between TNBC prevalence and the human development index.

Prospective study of a diabetes risk reduction diet and the risk of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Hyperinsulinemia and higher insulin-like growth factors may increase breast cancer risk. We evaluated a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) and breast cancer risk.

OBJECTIVES

We prospectively evaluated the association between adherence to a DRRD and the incidence of breast cancer.

METHODS

We followed 88,739 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1980-2016) and 93,915 women from the NHSII (1991-2017). Incident breast cancer cases (n = 11,943) were confirmed with medical records, and subtypes were determined by tissue microarray data and pathology reports. Information on diet and breast cancer risk factors was repeatedly ascertained in follow-up questionnaires. A DRRD score was derived with 9 factors: lower glycemic index of diet; lower intakes of trans fat, sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices, and red/processed meat; higher intakes of cereal fiber, coffee, nuts, and whole fruits; and a higher ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat (score range: 9-45). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (MVHRs) and 95% CIs were calculated with Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Being in the highest compared with the lowest DRRD adherence quintile was associated with a modestly lower breast cancer risk (MVHRQ5vsQ1: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95; P-trend = 0.0002); this was attenuated after adjusting for weight change since age 18 y (MVHRQ5vsQ1: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.98; P-trend = 0.01). The inverse association was strongest among women with current BMI < 25 kg/m2 (MVHRQ5vsQ1: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.98; P-trend = 0.004; P-interaction = 0.04). Among tumor molecular subtypes, the strongest inverse association was observed with basal-type tumors (MVHRQ5vsQ1: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.01; P-trend = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Greater DRRD-adherence was associated with lower breast cancer risk, likely mediated by less weight gain with a DRRD; however, independently of weight change, DRRD-adherence was modestly associated with lower breast cancer risk, particularly among lean women.

Dietary Phenolics against Breast Cancer. A Critical Evidence-Based Review and Future Perspectives

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in adult women worldwide. Over 85% of BC cases are non-hereditary, caused by modifiable extrinsic factors related to lifestyle, including dietary habits, which play a crucial role in cancer prevention. Although many epidemiological and observational studies have inversely correlated the fruit and vegetable consumption with the BC incidence, the involvement of their phenolic content in this correlation remains contradictory. During decades, wrong approaches that did not consider the bioavailability, metabolism, and breast tissue distribution of dietary phenolics persist behind the large currently existing gap between preclinical and clinical research. In the present review, we provide comprehensive preclinical and clinical evidence according to physiologically relevant in vitro and in vivo studies. Some dietary phenolics such as resveratrol (RSV), quercetin, isoflavones, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), lignans, and curcumin are gaining attention for their chemopreventive properties in preclinical research. However, the clinical evidence of dietary phenolics as BC chemopreventive compounds is still inconclusive. Therefore, the only way to validate promising preclinical results is to conduct clinical trials in BC patients. In this regard, future perspectives on dietary phenolics and BC research are also critically discussed.

Understanding Breast cancer: from conventional therapies to repurposed drugs

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is considered a developed country disease. Moreover, is a heterogenous disease, existing different types and stages of breast cancer development, therefore, better understanding of cancer biology, helps to improve the development of therapies. The conventional treatments accessible after diagnosis, have the main goal of controlling the disease, by improving survival. In more advance stages the aim is to prolong life and symptom palliation care. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the main options available, which must be adapted to each person individually. However, patients are developing resistance to the conventional therapies. This resistance is due to alterations in important regulatory pathways such as PI3K/AKt/mTOR, this pathway contributes to trastuzumab resistance, a reference drug to treat breast cancer. Therefore, is proposed the repurposing of drugs, instead of developing drugs de novo, for example, to seek new medical treatments within the drugs available, to be used in breast cancer treatment. Providing safe and tolerable treatments to patients, and new insights to efficacy and efficiency of breast cancer treatments. The economic and social burden of cancer is enormous so it must be taken measures to relieve this burden and to ensure continued access to therapies to all patients. In this review we focus on how conventional therapies against breast cancer are leading to resistance, by reviewing those mechanisms and discussing the efficacy of repurposed drugs to fight breast cancer.

Nutrient-wide association study of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Several dietary factors have been reported to be associated with risk of breast cancer, but to date, unequivocal evidence only exists for alcohol consumption. We sought to systematically assess the association between intake of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk using a nutrient-wide association study.

METHODS

Using data from 272,098 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, we assessed dietary intake of 92 foods and nutrients estimated by dietary questionnaires. Cox regression was used to quantify the association between each food/nutrient and risk of breast cancer. A false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05 was used to select the set of foods and nutrients to be replicated in the independent Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS).

RESULTS

Six foods and nutrients were identified as associated with risk of breast cancer in the EPIC study (10,979 cases). Higher intake of alcohol overall was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio (HR) for a 1 SD increment in intake = 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), as was beer/cider intake and wine intake (HRs per 1 SD increment = 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06 and 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, respectively), whereas higher intakes of fibre, apple/pear, and carbohydrates were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (HRs per 1 SD increment = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98; 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99; and 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.98, respectively). When evaluated in the NLCS (2368 cases), estimates for each of these foods and nutrients were similar in magnitude and direction, with the exception of beer/cider intake, which was not associated with risk in the NLCS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm a positive association of alcohol consumption and suggest an inverse association of dietary fibre and possibly fruit intake with breast cancer risk.

Nutritional assessment of female patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer in a northern region of Spain

Introduction

Background: evidence from research suggests that the development of cancer disease is associated with environmental factors. There are few studies evaluating nutritional status in women suffering from cancer in Spain. Objectives: this study aimed to assess the nutritional status in breast cancer female patients at diagnosis in a northern region of Spain (Asturias), where breast cancer rates are particularly high when compared to the rest of Spain. Material and methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 76 newly diagnosed female cancer patients. Lifestyle factors, anthropometry, biochemical, and dietary intake data were collected immediately after diagnosis and prior to the initiation of the prescribed treatment. Results: a high percentage of these women diagnosed with cancer were sedentary (59.2%). Their average body mass index (BMI) was 27.3 ± 5.5 kg/m2. They also showed a high percentage of body fat, 38.3%, as well as a large waist circumference of 92.2 cm. Patients reported a low intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, and a high intake of red meat, meat products, and sweet foodstuffs as compared to the Spanish dietary guidelines (p < 0.01). Conclusion: the results showed a low intake of folate, calcium, and vitamin D, which is particularly relevant in women. In conclusion, these breast cancer patients showed overweight and high sedentarism levels, and reported unbalanced dietary patterns at the time of diagnosis.

Plant Foods, Antioxidant Biomarkers, and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Mortality: A Review of the Evidence

Although a high intake of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes has been recommended for chronic disease prevention, it has been unclear what is the optimal amount of intake of these foods and whether specific subtypes are particularly beneficial. The evidence from several recently published meta-analyses on plant foods and antioxidants and various health outcomes is reviewed as well as more recently published studies. In meta-analyses of prospective studies, inverse associations were observed between intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease overall, total cancer, and all-cause mortality. The strongest reductions in risk were observed at an intake of 800 g/d for fruits and vegetables, 225 g/d for whole grains, and 15-20 g/d for nuts, respectively. Whole-grain and nut consumption was also inversely associated with mortality from respiratory disease, infections, and diabetes. Stronger and more linear inverse associations were observed between blood concentrations of antioxidants (vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin E) and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality than for dietary intake. Most studies that have since been published have been consistent with these results; however, further studies are needed on subtypes of plant foods and less common causes of death. These results strongly support dietary recommendations to increase intake of plant foods, and suggest optimal intakes for chronic disease prevention may be ∼800 g/d for intakes of fruits and vegetables, 225 g/d for whole grains, and 15-20 g/d for nuts. Diets high in plant foods could potentially prevent several million premature deaths each year if adopted globally.

Panoptic Overview of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Nigeria: Current Challenges and Promising Global Initiatives

Purpose

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most deadly form of breast cancer (BC) today. TNBC treatment is fraught with challenges because of the extensive interpatient heterogeneity in clinical behavior and scarcity of stratifying biomarkers and actionable targets. Women of African ancestry face a disproportionate burden resulting from this disease, which affects them earlier and more aggressively and has a higher propensity to spread and resist conventional treatments. A much higher proportion of Nigerian patients with BC have TNBC compared with patients with BC in the United States and Europe.

Methods

This article spotlights Nigeria as an example of a nation wherein genetic and nongenetic spheres of influence intersect to affect the prevalence of this disease, the scale of its challenge, and its toll.

Results

Studies have illuminated the inherently different tumor biology of Nigerian TNBCs, which show distinct genetic variants and gene expression patterns compared with European or European-American TNBCs. Parallels are apparent between TNBC phenotypes among African Americans and Nigerians, implicating the common thread of shared genetic ancestry between these populations. Reproductive, lifestyle, socioeconomic, and cultural factors also shape TNBC outcomes in Nigeria, as do resource constraints in Nigerian health care and research sectors.

Conclusion

Increasing our understanding of how these factors contribute to poorer outcomes among Nigerian women may uncover valuable insights and strategies in alleviating the TNBC burden in many countries of the world and help reduce the racial disparity in BC-related outcomes here in the United States. Importantly, this review also highlights collaborative global and local initiatives that converge expertise and resources to advance research on effective management of TNBC in diverse populations.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Risk of Breast Cancer Based on Hormone Receptor Status: A Case-Control Study in Korea

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, and the risk of developing breast cancer is associated with inflammation. The present study aimed to examine the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®) and breast cancer in Korean women and investigate whether the tumor’s hormone receptor status affects this association. In this case-control study, we enrolled 364 breast cancer patients and 364 age-matched controls. DII scores were calculated from dietary intake evaluated by a 106-item food frequency questionnaire. The DII score was significantly higher in cases than in controls. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratio (OR) of breast cancer was higher in the highest DII tertile (OR = 3.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.34–5.80, p for trend < 0.0001) than in the lowest tertile. We found that higher DII scores were related to an increased risk of breast cancer for estrogen receptor (ER)+/progesterone receptor (PR)+ tumors regardless of menopausal status (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.37–4.88 in the highest DII category, p for trend = 0.01 for premenopausal women; OR = 11.00, 95% CI: 2.93–41.30 in the highest DII category, p for trend = 0.0004 for postmenopausal women), but not for ER−/PR− status. Our results suggested that the DII scores are positively associated with breast cancer risk in Korean women and that this relationship is more robust in ER+/PR+ tumors.

Healthy dietary patterns and risk and survival of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

PURPOSES

Dietary patterns have been found to be associated with the overall cancer risk and survival. However, the associations of healthy dietary patterns and breast cancer remain unclear. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to estimate the pooled results of the association of healthy dietary patterns with breast cancer risk and survival.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched for literature published until June 24th, 2018 that examined the associations between healthy dietary patterns and breast cancer risk and survival. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using a random-effects model for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

There were 32 articles retrieved for the meta-analysis, with 27 for breast cancer risk and five for breast cancer survival. There was a statistically significant lower risk of breast cancer associated with healthy dietary patterns (RR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.98). Subgroup analysis results suggested that there was an inverse association between breast cancer risk and posterori-derived healthy patterns, but no statistically significant associations were found in other stratified subgroups (a priori-derived diet, study region, menopausal status, or breast cancer subtypes). Healthy dietary patterns were associated inversely with all-cause mortality (RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.92); however, no association was found for breast cancer-specific mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that healthy dietary patterns might be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and all-cause mortality among breast cancer patients. It could be clinically relevant to promote healthy dietary patterns for breast cancer prevention and improve survival among breast cancer patients.

Dietary index scores and invasive breast cancer risk among women with a family history of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Many epidemiologic studies have analyzed the relations of individual foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk with inconsistent results. Few studies have examined recommendation-based dietary indices and breast cancer risk.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine associations between recommendation-based dietary index scores and incident invasive breast cancer.

METHODS

The Sister Study is a prospective cohort of 50,884 US women (baseline: 2003-2009) who had a sister with breast cancer but no prior breast cancer themselves. We created scores for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED), and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) from dietary intakes estimated by a baseline-validated Block food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We used Cox regression to estimate multivariable-adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for total invasive breast cancer risk and by estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status.

RESULTS

We documented 1,700 invasive breast cancer cases through 2015 (mean follow-up, 7.6 y). Individuals in the highest quartile of DASH scores had a lower risk of invasive breast cancer compared with those in the lowest quartile (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.90; P-trend = 0.001), with stronger associations for ER- (HR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.94; P-trend = 0.006) as well as ER-/PR- and ER-/PR-/HER2- subtypes. AHEI-2010 (HR for highest compared with lowest quartile: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.03; P-trend = 0.15) and AMED (HR for highest compared with lowest quartile: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.06; P-trend = 0.07) were weakly and nonsignificantly associated with breast cancer risk, but after excluding alcohol, AHEI-2010 was inversely associated with risk of ER-/PR- (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.98; P-trend = 0.04) and ER-/PR-/HER2- subtypes. We did not observe any significant interactions by menopausal status or other participant characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

DASH scores were inversely associated with breast cancer risk; DASH and AHEI-2010 scores excluding alcohol were particularly inversely associated with risk of ER-/PR- and ER-/PR-/HER2- breast cancers. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00047970.

Fruit and vegetable consumption and breast cancer incidence: Repeated measures over 30 years of follow-up

We evaluated the relation of fruit and vegetable consumption, including specific fruits and vegetables, with incident breast cancer characterized by menopausal status, hormone receptor status and molecular subtypes. Fruit and vegetable consumption, cumulatively averaged across repeated, validated questionnaires, was examined in relation to risk of invasive breast cancer among 182,145 women initially aged 27-59 years in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1980-2012) and NHSII (1991-2013). Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for known risk factors, was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and assessed tumors by hormone receptor status and molecular subtypes. We prospectively documented 10,911 invasive breast cancer cases. Greater intake of total fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables, was associated with significantly lower breast cancer risk (>5.5 vs. ≤2.5 servings/day HR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.83-0.96; ptrend = 0.006). Intake of total vegetables was especially associated with lower risk of estrogen receptor negative tumors (HR per 2 additional servings/day as a continuous variable = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.77-0.93; pheterogeneity = 0.02). Among molecular subtypes, higher intake of total fruits and vegetables (HR per 2 additional servings/day as a continuous variable) was most strongly associated with lower risk of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched (HR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.67-0.93), basal-like (HR = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.72-0.97) and luminal A (HR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.89-0.99), but not with luminal B tumors (pheterogeneity = 0.03). In conclusion, our findings support that higher intake of fruits and vegetables, and specifically cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables, may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially those that are more likely to be aggressive tumors.

Foods, macronutrients and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: a large UK cohort

BACKGROUND

The role of diet in breast cancer aetiology is unclear; recent studies have suggested associations may differ by estrogen receptor status.

METHODS

Baseline diet was assessed in 2000-04 using a validated questionnaire in 691 571 postmenopausal UK women without previous cancer, who had not changed their diet recently. They were followed by record linkage to national cancer and death databases. Cox regression yielded adjusted relative risks for breast cancer for 10 food items and eight macronutrients, subdivided mostly into five categories of baseline intake. Trends in risk across the baseline categories were calculated, assigning re-measured intakes to allow for measurement error and changes in intake over time; P-values allowed for multiple testing.

RESULTS

Women aged 59.9 (standard deviation (SD 4.9)) years at baseline were followed for 12 (SD 3) years; 29 005 were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Alcohol intake had the strongest association with breast cancer incidence: relative risk (RR) 1.08 [99% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.11] per 10 g/day higher intake, P = 5.8 × 10-14. There were inverse associations with fruit: RR 0.94 (99% CI 0.92-0.97) per 100 g/day higher intake, P = 1.1 × 10-6, and dietary fibre: RR 0.91 (99% CI 0.87-0.96) per 5 g/day increase, P = 1.1 × 10-4. Fruit and fibre intakes were correlated (ρ = 0.62) and were greater among women who were not overweight, so residual confounding cannot be excluded. There was no heterogeneity for any association by estrogen receptor status.

CONCLUSIONS

By far the strongest association was between alcohol intake and an increased risk of breast cancer. Of the other 17 intakes examined, higher intakes of fruit and fibre were associated with lower risks of breast cancer, but it is unclear whether or not these associations are causal.

Potato consumption and risk of all cause, cancer and cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies was conducted to examine the association of potato consumption and risk of all-cause, cancer and cardiovascular mortality in adults. We searched PubMed, Scopus databases up to September 2018 for all relevant published papers. All analyses were performed on HRs or RRs and 95% CIs. In twenty prospective studies, 25,208 cases were reported for all-cause mortality, 4877 for cancer mortality and 2366 for CVD mortality. No significant association was found between potato consumption and risk of all-cause (0.90; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.02, p = 0.096) and cancer (1.09; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.24, P = 0.204) mortality. In addition, no significant linear association was found between each 100 g/d increments in potato consumption and risk of all-cause (P = 0.7) and cancer (P = 0.09) mortality. Moreover, nonlinear association between potato consumption and risk of cancer mortality was non-significant (P-nonlinearity = 0.99). In addition, two of three studies which examined the association of potato consumption with CVD mortality did not find any significant relationship. There was no evidence for publication bias in this study. We failed to find significant association between potato consumption and risk of mortality. Further studies are required to confirm this issue.