|
Western Diet Partly to Blame for Korea’s
Increasing Breast Cancer Rates
Korean women have historically had one of the lowest breast cancer rates in the
world, in part because of their traditionally low-fat diet full of fresh vegetables,
rice, soybeans, seaweed, and other sea vegetables. However, as they stray from
this diet toward a higher fat Western regimen, rates of obesity and breast cancer
are catching up with those in Western countries. Researchers in Seoul, Korea,
analyzed lifestyle characteristics of 5,000 breast cancer patients admitted to
the Asan Medical Center for breast surgery between 1989 and 2004. They found
that breast cancer rates among Korean women are increasing faster than the world
average. Researchers blame an increase in risk factors, including the consumption
of higher fat foods, which, according to the Korean Breast Cancer Society, increased
significantly between 1996 and 2000. Other changes that reflect lifestyles of
Westernized nations include earlier menarche (perhaps due to diet changes), a
delay in childbearing, insufficient breastfeeding, late menopause, and obesity.
Son BH, Kwak BS, Kim JK, et al. Changing patterns in the
clinical characteristics of Korean patients with breast cancer
during the last 15 years. Arch Surg. 2006 Feb;141(2):155-160.
Fish
Oil Does Not Prevent Cancer
A systematic review published in JAMA: The Journal of the American
Medical Association shows that fish oil does not prevent cancer.
The review analyzed the results of 38 prior studies of the effect
of fish oil on the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, lung,
prostate, skin, and other sites. Individual study results varied.
Some showed increased risk from fish oil, others showed reduced
risk, and most showed no effect. The combined result was that fish
oil has no evident protective effect against cancer.
MacLean CH, Newberry SJ, Mojica WA, et al.
Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk: a systematic review.
JAMA. 2006;295:403-415.
Obesity Linked to the Return of Prostate Cancer
Men who have been treated for prostate cancer are less likely to
have a recurrence if they maintain a healthy weight, according
to a recent study in the journal Urology. University
of California researchers analyzed data on 2,131 prostate cancer
patients from 1989 to 2002, using the Cancer of the Prostate
Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) database.
Obese
men, defined as those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than
30, were found to have a 30 percent increased risk of cancer
recurrence, compared with those with lower body weights. Very
obese patients (BMI greater than 35) had the overall greatest
risk of recurrence—about 70 percent higher than thinner
men. Results emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy
weight.
Other research has shown that the average person following
a vegetarian diet weighs about 10 percent less than the average
meat-eater and that low-fat vegetarian diets are effective in
helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Furthermore,
vegetarians are less likely to develop cancer when compared with
their meat-eating counterparts.
Bassett WW, Cooperberg MR, Sadetsky N, et al. Impact of obesity
on prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy: data
from CaPSURE. Urology. 2005;66:1060-1065.
 The
Cancer Project is a nonprofit PCRM subsidiary that advances
cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education
and research.
Media
Center | Health | Research
| About PCRM | Catalog
| Join Us | Search
| Site Index | Home
The site does
not provide medical or legal advice. This Web site is for information purposes
only.
Full Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
|
