Relationship Between Diet and Breast Cancer Prognosis

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the leading cause of cancer death in
women worldwide. It becomes necessary to investigate the factors that act protectively in the prognosis of breast
cancer. Aim: The aim was to investigate the relationship between diet and prognosis of breast cancer patients and
the emergence of foods that positively affect the prognosis of breast cancer. Material and Method: A systematic
review of the literature in the Pubmed and Scopus databases for the years 2010–2020 was performed. Keywords
used were: “breast cancer”, “prognosis”, “dietary patterns”, “food”, “feed”, “diet”. Criteria for inclusion in the studies
were English language and primary studies with a sample of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Results: 927
studies were initially recovered, of which 12 were included in the present systematic review. Of these, two referred
to dietary groups. The rest concerned individual food groups: dairy, fish and shellfish, whole grains, fiber, phytoestrogens, soy, alcohol and tea. From the analysis of the studies, it seems that consumption of fish has a beneficial
effect as it reduces the risk of additional breast cancer and mortality. It also appears that increased consumption
of oats/muesli before breast cancer diagnosis is likely to reduce mortality, but increased consumption of rye bread
after diagnosis increases breast cancer mortality. In addition, postmenopausal women who consume alcohol appear
to have a higher risk of recurrence of the disease, while frequent consumption of green tea after diagnosis helps
in better survival. Conclusion: Based on the literature it was found that diet affects the prognosis of breast cancer.
Women who follow a better diet can improve their cancer progression.