1. Can diet and lifestyle reduce the risk of recurrence?
2. Diet and breast cancer recurrence
3. Special ‘cancer’ diets
4. Alcohol and breast cancer recurrence
5. Smoking and breast cancer recurrence
6. Physical activity and breast cancer recurrence
You may have heard that diet and lifestyle can affect the risk of breast cancer coming back, also known as a recurrence.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that women who have had breast cancer follow advice to reduce their risk of cancer coming back. This includes eating a healthy diet that is high in fibre and low in saturated fats, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol (if consumed at all).
Experts think fibre has many health benefits including improving digestive health and helping to prevent heart disease and some cancers.
High-fibre foods tend to be lower in calories and can help you feel full up for longer, including:
- wholegrain foods such as brown rice, oats, wholewheat, couscous and quinoa
- pulses such as lentils and beans
- starchy foods such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, preferably with their skins on
- vegetables and fruits
There is some evidence that fibre may reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence but more research is needed to find out more.
Foods to avoid with breast cancer
It’s a good idea to limit the amount of fat you eat, particularly saturated fat, because it increases the risk of conditions such as heart disease. As with fibre, there is some evidence that saturated fat may affect the risk of recurrence, but again more research is needed to find out more.
Foods that are high in saturated fat include:
- fatty cuts of meat
- processed meats such as sausages
- full-fat dairy products, including whole milk, cream and hard cheese
- chocolate, biscuits and cakes
Try to replace these with healthier unsaturated fats found in foods such as:
- olive oil, rapeseed oil and their spreads
- oily fish such as salmon and mackerel
- nuts and seeds
If you’re having foods that contain saturated fats, try to choose ones with lower saturated fats, such as lower fat dairy products such as skimmed milk, low-fat yoghurts, low-fat feta cheese, and leaner meats such as chicken and turkey.
Soy and foods that contain phytoestrogens
Soy foods such as soy milk and tofu contain natural compounds called phytoestrogens. Foods such as chickpeas and linseeds also contain phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens have a chemical structure that is similar to the female hormone oestrogen. As the hormone oestrogen can stimulate some breast cancers to grow, some people worry whether foods or supplements containing phytoestrogens might have the same effect as oestrogen and increase the risk of recurrence.
Current evidence suggests that a diet containing naturally occurring phytoestrogens is safe if you’ve had breast cancer and may be beneficial.
Phytoestrogens are also found in supplements including:
- black cohosh
- red clover
These are sometimes taken to relieve hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms. However, these are not recommended because the evidence on their effectiveness and safety is limited and conflicting.
Some people choose to eat organic foods as a way of reducing pesticides in their diet. However, no association has been found between eating an organic diet (before or after diagnosis) and the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
The term ‘superfood’ has been used to describe foods that are apparently beneficial for preventing or treating a range of health conditions. ‘Superfoods’ include:
- green tea
There is no evidence that any single food can reduce the risk of breast cancer developing or coming back in someone who has been diagnosed. The EU has banned food companies from making these health claims on their packaging unless they are supported by scientific evidence.
Find out more about diet and breast cancer.
Some people who have had breast cancer consider following a special diet. This may be because they believe it could reduce the risk of recurrence. These include:
- The Bristol Whole Life Approach to healthy eating
- dairy-free di