nosh magazine
NUTRITION AND
BREAST CANCER
One in eight women will develop breast cancer before
the age of 85, which means you will likely meet or know
someone with breast cancer. Nutrition expert Tanya King
provides information about breast cancer and nutrition.
urgery, chemotherapy and
radiotherapy can be an extremely
tough time. Once finished however,
appointments with health professionals
aren’t as regular and staying cancer-free
becomes an important priority for many
women. As such, dietitians, exercise
physiologists, personal trainers, and other
health professionals are often approached
to help improve wellbeing, fitness, physique
and/or reduce the ongoing side effects of
treatment. As the Senior Oncology
Dietitian at Coastal Cancer Care and
Oceania Oncology Sunshine Coast, every
day women with breast cancer ask me
questions about nutrition. Research on
how to improve survival through diet and
lifestyle is limited, but emerging. Current
research published by the World Cancer
Research Fund does suggest a link
between better survival rates after breast
cancer and the following factors:
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• Maintaining a healthy body weight:
Being overweight is related to a higher
Additional resources
•
Breast Cancer Network Australia:
www.bcna.org.au
• Cancer Council Australia:
www.cancer.org.au
• World Cancer Research Fund:
www.dietandcancerreport.org
• American Institute for Cancer
Research: www.aicr.org
• Cancer myth busting:
www.Iheard.com.au
• National Centre for Complementary
and Integrative Health:
https://nccih.nih.gov/
• Calculate your risk:
http://canceraustralia.gov.au/
affected-cancer/cancer-types/
breast-cancer/your-risk/calculate
•
mortality risk. It can also increase the
risk of developing other cancers.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is,
therefore, important for all women –
even those without a diagnosis.
Being physically active: regular
exercise helps to improve physical and
emotional health, as well as overall
quality of life. It also helps with weight
management, depression and anxiety,
muscle strength and the physical side
effects of treatment like pain, fatigue,
lymphoedema, and reduced bone
mineral density.
Eating foods containing fibre: a higher
intake of foods containing fibre, before
and 12 months after a diagnosis of
breast cancer, may reduce the risk of all
causes of death.
Moderating the intake of foods
containing soy: there is a theoretical
risk that phyto-oestrogens could
stimulate the growth of hormone
sensitive cancers, so moderation of soy
intake is recommended. The Cancer
Council does not recommend or
support the use of phyto-oestrogen
supplements for breast cancer survivors.
A lower intake of fat, especially
saturated fat: research reported in late
2014 suggested a low fat diet may
reduce the risk of dying by 36 per cent,
particularly in women with nonhormone related cancers (e.g. oestrogen
receptor negative). The benefit was even
greater – 54 per cent reduction in
deaths among women with oestrogen
receptor and progesterone receptor
negative cancers. Although it’s still not
clear if total fat intake affects cancer
outcomes, the effect of lowering fat
intake on inflammation, weight loss,
and overweight/obesity cannot be
discounted.
• Reducing alcohol intake: unlike
cardiovascular disease, there are no
protective effects of drinking alcohol on
cancer. Cancer Council Australia
recommends people avoid drinking
alcohol or follow NHMRC guidelines if
they choose to drink (e.g. no more than
two standard drinks on any one day,
and no more than four standard drinks
on one occasion).
Food and nutrition is only one element of a
number of areas that women with breast
cancer need to be mindful of. Because many
women are now presenting overweight,
nutrition issues are often overlooked and
under-treated. Historically, nutrition support
is targeted to the malnourished cancer
patient; fortunately, this appears to be
changing. Currently, research is exploring the
impact of vitamin D, omega-3 fish oils,
complementary and alternative therapies,
body image, mental health, and exercise and
nutrition interventions. Of course, advice
must be tailored according to the type of
breast cancer and if it has spread to other
parts of the body (e.g. bone, lung), previous
treatment and side effects (e.g. radiotherapy,
chemotherapy), other medical conditions,
age, menopause status, and ongoing
treatment (e.g. hormone therapy). N
Tanya King, APD
Learn more about Tanya: website | profile
Tanya is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and is currently the Senior Oncology Dietitian at Coastal
Cancer Care and Oceania Oncology Sunshine Coast. With dual qualifications in exercise science and
nutrition and dietetics she has developed specialist skills in supporting patients throughout the trajectory
of cancer survivorship.
www.n4foodandhealth.com
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