Fruits, Vegetables Lower Breast Tumor Risk

HYATTSVILLE, Md.According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and the use of oral contraceptives may reduce risk of fibroadenoma (2010;140(7):1294-1301). Fibroadenomas are common benign breast conditions among women and account for 50 percent of breast biopsies performed. Dietary factors are known to influence benign breast conditions in the aggregate, but little is known of their association specifically with fibroadenoma. The studys objective was to evaluate the association between dietary and other factors and fibroadenoma risk.

A case-control study, nested in a randomized trial of breast self-examination (BSE) in Chinese textile workers in Shanghai, China, was conducted between 1989 and 2000.The study sample included 327 affected women and 1,070 controls. Significant decreasing trends in the risk of fibroadenoma were observed with intake of fruits and vegetables and with number of live births, and a reduced risk was also associated with natural menopause, oral contraceptive use and moderate exercise (walking and gardening). Increased risk of fibroadenoma was associated with heavy physical activity in one's 20s, breast cancer in a first-degree relative and a history of prior benign breast lumps; and significant increasing trends in risk were observed with numbers of BSE per year and years of education.