title: Dietary fat in breast cancer survival.
abstract: Laboratory evidence suggests a plausible role for dietary fat in breast cancer pathophysiology. We conducted a systematic literature review to assess the epidemiological evidence on the impact of total dietary fat and fat subtypes, measured pre- and/or postcancer diagnosis, in relation to breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality among breast cancer survivors. Studies were included if they were in English, had a sample size ≥200, and presented the hazard ratio/rate ratio for recurrence, disease-specific mortality, or all-cause mortality (n = 18). Although the results are mixed, most studies suggested that higher saturated fat intake prediagnosis was associated with increased risk of breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Postdiagnostic trans fat intake was associated with a 45% and 78% increased risk of all-cause mortality. Higher monounsaturated fat intake before and after diagnosis was generally associated with increased risk of all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality, albeit the majority of the studies were statistically nonsignificant. Two studies evaluating omega-3 fat intake suggested an inverse association with all-cause mortality. Although there were too few studies on fat subtypes to draw definitive conclusions, high consumption of saturated fat may exert a detrimental effect on breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality, whereas omega-3 fat may be beneficial. The inconsistent and limited evidence warrants research to assess the impact of consumption of fat subtypes on breast cancer recurrence and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Nour
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makarem
authors.forename: Urmila
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.forename: Elisa V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Bandera
authors.forename: Niyati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parekh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D004249:DNA Damage; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011379:Prognosis