Lifestyle and diet to prevent breast cancer

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Extract from the article: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. In Togo, breast cancer is the most common, at 60.20%, followed by cervical cancer at 23.20% (CHU SO data in 2018). Only 34% of women diagnosed with cancer in 2020 survived. This is what the Ligue togo

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. In Togo, breast cancer is the most common, at 60.20%, followed by cervical cancer at 23.20% (CHU SO data in 2018). Only 34% of women diagnosed with cancer in 2020 survived. This is what the Ligue togolaise contre le cancer reports, citing the Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan). There are several risk factors for breast cancer, and particularly those that can be acted upon.

Some risk factors are closely linked to lifestyle. Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease. This means that several factors influence the risk of its occurrence.

Beware of excess sugar

Excess sugar is a proven risk factor for breast cancer", warns Dr Sebban. Several scientific studies have in fact already shown that sugar can play a role in the onset of the disease. A University of Texas study published in 2015 showed that fructose and sucrose increase the production of the enzyme 12-LOX and the fatty acid 12-HETE in cancer cells. Two possible factors in the negative development of breast cancer. You should also be wary of soft drinks and sweetened beverages. Some can contain more than 10 lumps of sugar.

Limit fats

Creams, animal fats, fast food, processed foods... What they all have in common is a high proportion of fat.These unhealthy fats, if consumed on a daily basis, can also play a role in the development of breast cancer.Once again, scientific studies have proved that fat particles in the bloodstream can enter breast cancer cells through a mechanism that increases the risk of cancer in people with a high-fat diet and obesity.These results were reported by the Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Dartmouth (USA) in a report published in 2019 in the « Journal of Lipid Research ».

Favour good fats

Good fats are unsaturated fats that are essential for the body's hormonal, immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. They are better known as fatty acids or omega 3, 6 and 9.It has already been proven that omega-3 essential fatty acids can also help fight cancer.A study carried out by researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, on mice suffering from an aggressive form of breast cancer, showed the effectiveness of marine omega-3 essential fatty acids, i.e. EPA and DHA. Omega-3s are found mainly in vegetable oils, oily fish (cod liver oil, mackerel, sardines, salmon, herring), nuts and avocado.Limit or avoid meat

While meat has significant health benefits, it is increasingly recognised that it is important to reduce the proportions.Eating too much meat is associated with the risk of breast cancer.One study showed that women who ate a lot of red meat had a 6% higher risk of breast cancer, compared with those who ate little.Excessive consumption of processed meat increases the risk by 9%. The research was carried out by researchers at Harvard University (USA).

Beware of being overweight

Being overweight can be associated with the development of several cancers, including breast cancer.Being overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9) or obese (BMI of 30 or more) increases the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women.Localised abdominal fat also increases this risk, even in women of healthy weight. An increase in body weight in adulthood can also increase the risk, particularly of breast cancer after the menopause.

Avoid a sedentary lifestyle

In addition to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle is also a risk factor for breast cancer. Conversely, physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer after the menopause.Society is too sedentary.We eat too much, too badly, and we don't exercise enough.But some simple habits can help to change this.Walking, going up and down stairs, cycling.

Managing stress well

Researchers have identified a mechanism that explains how chronic stress accelerates the growth of breast cancer stem cells.  Stress, like pollution, is also a risk factor for breast cancer.Reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a study on mice has shown that chronic stress can encourage the development of breast cancer stem cells.This phenomenon is thought to be linked to epinephrine, one of the main stress hormones. Epinephrine levels were higher in mice subjected to stress throughout the experiment. In mice treated to inactivate the ADRB2 hormone receptor, the tumours were much smaller and contained fewer stem cells.

Source: Dr Eric Sebban, Gynaecological surgeon and oncologist (France)