Improving Survival for Patients with Breast Cancer Through a Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet

Tengteng Wang, PhD, Research Fellow, Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, discussed how common diabetes may be diagnosed in patients with breast cancer, especially as women get older. Considering that in the United States 75% of patients with breast cancer are aged >60 years, patients and their physicians should benefit from understanding that breast cancer survivorship needs to be managed together with coexisting age-related diseases.¹

Diabetes is a considerable health burden, affecting 1 in 7 US adults. Having type 2 diabetes may increase overall chances for being diagnosed with breast cancer and may be a predictor for breast cancer mortality. Conversely, having breast cancer may increase the risk for having type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet has been associated with a 40% decrease in risk for diabetes, and addresses 9 dietary recommendations, including a higher intake of cereal fiber, nuts, coffee, and fruits, while decreasing the intake of trans fats, red meat, and sugary beverages.²

The researchers wanted to assess whether there was an association with how much patients with stage I-III breast cancer adhered to the Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet and their mortality rate, estimating that people who adhered more to the diet would have better survival outcomes.

They looked at data from 2 studies, with 237,700 patients in total, and found 8320 breast cancer survivors who could be included in their study. Patients’ diets were evaluated regularly during the studies and data were recorded.

Patients had an average of 13 years of follow-up and 2146 deaths in total, of which 948 were breast cancer–specific. They found that a greater adherence to the Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with better survival. This suggested that adhering to dietary changes consistent with avoiding type 2 diabetes may also be important for breast cancer survivors.

One very important finding of the study was highlighted in the question-and-answer session—that it is not too late to change a diet after breast cancer diagnosis, and this may have a positive impact on mortality.

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References

1. Wang T, Farvid M, Kang JH, et al. Diabetes risk reduction diet and survival following breast cancer. Presented at: 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Virtual Symposium; December 8-11, 2020.
2. Rhee JJ, Mattei J, Hughes MD, et al. Dietary diabetes risk reduction score, race and ethnicity, and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care. 2015;38:596-603.