ABSTRACT: Adolescent Diet and Incidence of Proliferative Benign
    Breast Disease
    [12/17/2003; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention]

Studies of adult diet and risk of breast cancer have yielded mainly
null results, but this does not rule out a possible impact of
adolescent diet. This study examined associations between components
of adolescent diet and risk of proliferative benign breast disease
(BBD), a marker for breast cancer. The study population consisted
of 29,494 women in the Nurses' Health Study II who completed
a questionnaire on adolescent diet in 1998 and who were 33-53
years of age at that time. A total of 470 new cases of proliferative
BBD were identified between 1991 and 1997. Incidence rate ratios
(RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for
quartiles of energy-adjusted intakes, using the lowest quartile
of each as the reference group. Total fat intake during adolescence
was unrelated to risk of proliferative BBD, although there were
positive associations for intakes of animal fat and monounsaturated
fat and an inverse association for intake of vegetable fat. For
vitamin E intake, the multivariate RRs were 1.13, 0.88, and 0.79
(95% CI, 0.61-1.04) for women in the second, third, and
highest quartiles, respectively (P for trend = 0.05). The multivariate
RRs were 0.94, 0.99, and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.57-0.98) for women
in increasing quartiles of fiber intake (P for trend = 0.05).
Vegetable fat, vitamin E, and fiber intakes during adolescence
were inversely associated with risk of proliferative BBD in this
population. Confirmation of these associations may suggest a
means for prevention of breast cancer. 

The full article can be found at:

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/11/1159