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Saturated fats related to breast cancer?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008

Question from Blittle: Regarding the benefits of the low-fat diet: First, was there a distinction between animal (saturated) fat and fats like olive oil and oils from nuts, and second, how much of the benefit might be related to eliminating the hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides that may be concentrated in animal fats?: Answers —Hope Rugo, M.D.: The diet that was used in the WINS trial specified the daily caloric intake from fat. The goal was to get down to 15%, but they only achieved about 25%. They did not specify which type of fat to use. If hormones and pesticides in food play a part in developing breast cancer, I would expect the latency period (the time it would take for effects to show in the body) would be quite long. So although that may contribute to reducing risk, I don't think it would have been the primary factor in reducing hormone receptor negative cancer in the WINS trial.; Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: Everyone is asking really great questions that are pushing the envelope of what we know. Many of these issues remain unanswered, and are exciting areas for future investigations.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2005 our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the 2005 ASCO Annual Meeting. Hope Rugo, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions on the latest research advances presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, FL.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Hope S. Rugo, M.D. is a clinical professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she directs the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.