Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk among women in northern tanzania: a case-control study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. It was tested within a case-control study in this region whether a specific dietary pattern impacts on the breast cancer risk.

METHODS:

A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake of 115 female breast cancer patients and 230 healthy age-matched women living in the same districts. A logistic regression was performed to estimate breast cancer risk. Dietary patterns were obtained using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation.

RESULTS:

The adjusted logistic regression estimated an increased risk for a « Fatty Diet », characterized by a higher consumption of milk, vegetable oils and fats, butter, lard and red meat (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.08-1.87; P = 0.01), and for a « Fruity Diet », characterized by a higher consumption of fish, mango, papaya, avocado and watery fruits (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI 1.14-2.28; P = 0.01). Both diets showed an inverse association with the ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (P/S ratio).
total fat intake.

CONCLUSION:

A diet characterized by a low P/S ratio seems to be more important for the development of breast cancer than