If you spot the color pink more than usual this month, it may be because of the special health observance going on this month - Breast Cancer Awareness.
According to breastcancer.org, about 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. For 2017, an estimate of over 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. (about 2,470 new cases are expected in men).
Breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer in women (besides lung cancer). It is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women (besides skin cancer).
A breast cancer diagnosis is most likely one of the scariest medical experiences a woman can go through. Breast cancer survivors may also live with the fear of recurrence.
Thankfully, diet and exercise play a huge role in preventing breast cancer and its recurrence.
The Risk Factors We Control
While some risk factors are out of our control (gender, age, family history, genetics, menstrual history), others are under our control.
Alcohol use is one of them. One recent meta-analysis found that even moderate use of alcohol - one drink per day - is linked to a 4% increase in breast cancer risk. 1 True, 4% is a small number. However, this is one of the most common cancers in women so even a small relative risk can mean a large amount of affected people.
Being overweight, obese, or sedentary also negatively impacts breast cancer risk. One review of thousands of studies on cancer risk, excess weight, and exercise found significant evidence of a link between excess body weight and increased risk of breast cancer. 2 Tons of studies also show that being overweight or obese (as well as gaining weight after diagnosis) increases chances of breast cancer recurrence and decreases survival. 3
Data shows that type 2 diabetes is also linked to an increased risk of breast cancer as well as a higher risk of breast cancer recurrence in women. 4 Interestingly, however, recent studies suggest that properly managing diabetes can help lower the risk of cancer recurrence.5
Does Exercise Make a Difference?
The short answer is yes. We'll let the research do the talking.
The World Cancer Research Fund reported that after an in-depth examination of all studies since the early 1990's, the evidence suggests that regular, sustained exercise protects against cancers of several sites. 6
Since the WCRF report, a more recent review of evidence on the link between exercise and breast cancer found that moderate-to-vigorous exercise 3-5 times per week reduced breast cancer risk 20-40%! 8
An April 2017 study from the Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism and Centre for Physical Activity Research at Copenhagen University Hospital highlights new insights into the beneficial effects of exercise. Besides the fact that regular exercise lowers risk of breast cancer and decreases risk of recurrence, it also increases several anti-cancer components during each exercise bout.9 Clearly, every exercise bout matters and counts!
The WCRF recommends that a cancer prevention exercise routine include moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day (equivalent to brisk walking). This can increase to 60 minutes or more of moderate or 30 minutes or more of intense activity every day. 7
Setting Cancer-Free Living Goals
Clearly, a healthy body weight is a key goal to achieve for protecting against cancer and its recurrence. If weight loss is difficult for you, remember that a nutrient-dense diet rich in fruits and vegetables and daily physical activity also provide additional benefits against cancer.
Nutrition is a huge, complex field. However, the tendency is to provide undue focus to one food or one ingredient. Remember, the quality and context of the entire diet is more important than any one food.This is the best approach to improving your diet. For example, adding one nutrient-rich or antioxidant-rich fruit or veggie onto a standard American diet (low in fiber, high in added sugars, refined flours, fat, and processed foods) won't make a huge difference in diet quality. Focus on filling the majority of your diet with healthy, whole, unprocessed foods.
Foods that Help Fight Cancer
While no single food or ingredient can fight cancer alone, filling your plate and meals with a variety of foods from the following groups can boost the nutrient-density of your meals and lower your risk of cancer. What new cancer-fighting foods do you want to incorporate into your meals this month?
Fruits: Apples, berries, grapefruit, plums, oranges, papaya, kiwi, cantaloupe, and mango, cherries, cranberries, grapes
Vegetables: onion, garlic, beets, cabbage, eggplant, artichokes, collard greens, bell peppers, parsnops, zucchini, radishes, scallions, fennel, turnips, carrots, broccoli, winter squash, mushrooms
Grains: All whole grains
Herbs: basil, rosemary, peppermint, cilantro, sage, lavender
Spices: cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, tarragon, nutmeg
Healthy Oils: olive oil, sesame oil
Seafood: Tuna, trout, salmon, halibut, seaweed, herring, mackerel
Legumes/Beans: Chickpeas, lentils, Lima beans, edamame, fava beans
Nuts: almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
Seeds: flaxseed
Beverages: red wine, green tea, miso, coffee
References
1. Alcohol Alcohol. 2012;47(3):204-212.
2. Cancer. 2012;118(9):2338-2366.
3. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010;123(3):627-635.
4. Womens Health (Lond Engl). 2011;7(2):227-237.
5. Clin Transl Oncol. 2011;13(6):363-367.
6. www.dietandcancerreport.org/cancer_resource_center/downloads/cu/Breast-Cancer-2010-Report.pdf
7. http://www.wcrf.org/int/research-we-fund/our-cancer-prevention-recommendations/physical-activity
8. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2013;125(11-12):297-301.
9. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017 Apr;162(3):399-408. doi: 10.1007/s10549-017-4129-4. Epub 2017 Jan 30.