The Oncologist, Vol. 8, No. 4, 326334,
August 2003
© 2003 AlphaMed Press
ORIGINAL PAPER Breast Cancer |
Behavioral Risk Factors in Breast Cancer: Can Risk Be Modified?
Anne McTiernan
Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Correspondence:
Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, P.O. Box 19024, MP-900, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA. Telephone: 206-667-7979; Fax: 206-667-7850; amctiern{at}fhcrc.org
The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that 25% of breast cancer cases worldwide are due to overweight/obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. The preponderance of epidemiologic studies indicates that women who engage in 34 hours per week of moderate to vigorous levels of exercise have a 30%-40% lower risk for breast cancer than sedentary women. Women who are overweight or obese have a 50%-250% greater risk for postmenopausal breast cancer. Alcohol use, even at moderate levels (two drinks per day) increases risk for both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer. Certain dietary patterns, such as high fat, low vegetables/fruits, low fiber, and high simple carbohydrates, may increase risk, but definitive data are lacking. These lifestyle factors are likely associated with breast cancer etiology through hormonal mechanisms. The worldwide trends of increasing overweight and obesity and decreasing physical activity may lead to an increasing incidence of breast cancer unless other means of risk reduction counteract these effects. Thus, adoption of lifestyle changes by individuals and populations may have a large impact on the future incidence of this disease.
Key Words. Breast cancer • Physical activity • Exercise • Obesity • Diet • Nutrition • Alcohol
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. L. Sprague, A. Trentham-Dietz, K. M. Egan, L. Titus-Ernstoff, J. M. Hampton, and P. A. Newcomb
Proportion of Invasive Breast Cancer Attributable to Risk Factors Modifiable after Menopause
Am. J. Epidemiol.,
August 15, 2008;
168(4):
404 - 411.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Pruthi, K. R. Brandt, A. C. Degnim, M. P. Goetz, E. A. Perez, C. A. Reynolds, P. J. Schomberg, G. K. Dy, and J. N. Ingle
A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Breast Cancer, Part 1: Prevention and Diagnosis
Mayo Clin. Proc.,
August 1, 2007;
82(8):
999 - 1012.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M.-F. Chan, M. Dowsett, E. Folkerd, S. Bingham, N. Wareham, R. Luben, A. Welch, and K.-T. Khaw
Usual Physical Activity and Endogenous Sex Hormones in Postmenopausal Women: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk Population Study
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.,
May 1, 2007;
16(5):
900 - 905.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y. M. Coyle, X.-J. Xie, C. M. Lewis, D. Bu, S. Milchgrub, and D. M. Euhus
Role of Physical Activity in Modulating Breast Cancer Risk as Defined by APC and RASSF1A Promoter Hypermethylation in Nonmalignant Breast Tissue
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.,
February 1, 2007;
16(2):
192 - 196.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Tehard, C. M. Friedenreich, J.-M. Oppert, and F. Clavel-Chapelon
Effect of Physical Activity on Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer: Results from the E3N Cohort Study
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.,
January 1, 2006;
15(1):
57 - 64.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Cassidy, D. Bissett, R. A.J. Spence OBE, and M. Payne
Further reading
Oxford Handbook of Oncology,
January 1, 2006;
2(1):
med-9780198567875-div1-66 - med-9780198567875-div1-66.
[Full Text]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. M Velie, C. Schairer, A. Flood, J.-P. He, R. Khattree, and A. Schatzkin
Empirically derived dietary patterns and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in a large prospective cohort study
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition,
December 1, 2005;
82(6):
1308 - 1319.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y.-C. Shen, C.-J. Chang, C. Hsu, C.-C. Cheng, C.-F. Chiu, and A.-L. Cheng
Significant Difference in the Trends of Female Breast Cancer Incidence Between Taiwanese and Caucasian Americans: Implications from Age-Period-Cohort Analysis
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.,
August 1, 2005;
14(8):
1986 - 1990.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. F. Skibola, J. D. Curry, C. VandeVoort, A. Conley, and M. T. Smith
Brown Kelp Modulates Endocrine Hormones in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats and in Human Luteinized Granulosa Cells
J. Nutr.,
February 1, 2005;
135(2):
296 - 300.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2003 by AlphaMed Press.
|
|