Intakes of Energy and Nutrients and Risk of Breast Cancer: Case-Control Study in Daegu,Gyeongbuk Area, Korea

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of nutrient intake levels on the relative risk of breast cancer in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk area. The case subjects were 103 patients newly diagnosed as breast cancer at Kyungpook National University Hospital. The control subjects were 159 healthy women without breast cancer-related disease in the same community selected by frequency matching of age and menopausal status. The survey was administered by individual interviews by trained dietitians using semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. The odds ratios were determined by using unconditional logistic regression after adjusting for the confounding factors found in the analysis of general characteristics of the subjects. In overall, it has been found that high consumptions of energy and carbohydrates significantly raised the relative risk of breast cancer, and that high intakes of total fat, plant fat, dietary fiber, all kinds of fatty acids, vitamin E and calcium significantly lowered the risk of breast cancer. The results of the study suggest that the possible protective factors to the breast cancer risk include a higher intakes of total fat, especially plant fat, dietary fiber, and micronutrients such as vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. On the other hand, high intakes of energy and carbohydrate appeared to be the risk factors.