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Fruits, vegetables, and micronutrient intake in relation to breast cancer survival

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Objective

To determine whether fruit, vegetable, and micronutrient intake 1 year prior to breast cancer diagnosis is associated with a reduction in the subsequent risk of all-cause or breast cancer-specific mortality.

Methods

Follow-up data from 1,235 invasive breast cancer cases age 25–98 years from the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project were analyzed. At the 1996–1997 case-control interview, respondents completed a food frequency questionnaire, which assessed dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, and vitamin supplement use in the previous 12 months. All-cause mortality (n=186 deaths) and breast cancer-specific mortality status (n=125 deaths, 67.2%) were determined through December 31, 2002.

Results

Hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were insignificantly reduced for intake of any fruits, fruit juices, and vegetables (HR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.42–1.09) and leafy vegetables (HR=0.72, 95% CI: 0.41–1.24) among post-menopausal women only. Both of these associations were more pronounced among those with ER+PR+ tumors (HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.27–1.10, and HR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.33–1.31, respectively). Similar associations were observed for breast cancer-specific mortality.

Conclusions

In a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer, higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and micronutrients was associated with a non-significant survival advantage in post-menopausal women only.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following for their valuable contributions to the LIBCSP: members of the Long Island Breast Cancer Network; the 31 participating institutions on Long Island and in New York City, NY: Our National Institutes of Health collaborators, Gwen Colman, PhD, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences; G. Iris Obrams, MD, PhD formerly of the National Cancer Institute; members of the External Advisory Committee to the population-based case-control study: Leslie Bernstein, PhD, (Committee chair); Gerald Akland, MS; Barbara Balaban, MSW; Blake Cady, MD; Dale Sandler, PhD; Roy Shore, PhD; and Gerald Wogan, PhD; as well as other collaborators who assisted with various aspects of our study efforts: Regina M. Santella, PhD; Mary S. Wolff, PhD; Gail Garbowski, MPH; Sybil M. Eng, PhD, Bruce Levin, PhD; Maureen Hatch, PhD; Steve Stellman H. Leon Bradlow, PhD; David Camann, BS; Martin Trent, BS; Ruby Senie, PhD; Carla Maffeo, PhD; Pat Montalvan; Gertrud Berkowitz, PhD; Margaret Kemeny, MD; Mark Citron, MD; Freya Schnabel, MD; Allen Schuss, MD; Steven Hajdu, MD; and Vincent Vinceguerra, MD.

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Environmental Health and Sciences (Grant nos. UO1CA/ES66572, UO1CA66572, CA52283, and P30ES10126), the National Institutes of Health (Grant no. 5T32CA009330-25), and from the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

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Correspondence to Brian N. Fink.

Appendix 1: Composition of food groups

Appendix 1: Composition of food groups

      

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Fink, B.N., Gaudet, M.M., Britton, J.A. et al. Fruits, vegetables, and micronutrient intake in relation to breast cancer survival. Breast Cancer Res Treat 98, 199–208 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-005-9150-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-005-9150-3

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