[Fat consumption and breast cancer: preliminary results from the E3N-Epic cohort].
Recent reviews have concluded that a high consumption of total, saturated or animal, fat could possibly increase the risk of breast cancer. However these results are highly dependent on the type of study; indeed, most of the prospective studies do not support this association. In this paper, we investigated the relationship between fat consumption and breast cancer risk in the E3N-Epic cohort, the French component of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Assessment of fat consumption was based on daily intakes of food items and nutrients using a food-frequency questionnaire. Relative risk (RR) estimates were calculated using Cox's proportional hazards model. After an average of 3.4 years of follow-up, 838 cases of incident breast cancer were recorded in a study population of 65,879 women. The mean caloric intake was 2,073 kcal (SD 540), with 37% of calories coming from fat intake. Milk products and vegetable oils were the main sources of fat in the diet. We found a small positive association between fat intake and breast cancer risk. Compared with the lowest, women in the highest quartile of fat intake had a 37% higher risk of breast cancer (RR 1.37, CI95% = 0.99-1.89). There was no detectable association between fatty acids or food items contributing to fat intake and breast cancer risk. These analyses suggest there is a need for longer follow-up time to increase statistical power and confirm these tendencies.
Thiébaut
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Inserm U. 521, Institut Gustave-Roussy, 39, rue Camille-Desmoulins, 94805 Villejuif Cedex.
Clavel-Chapelon
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F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids