Nutrition Education May Help Prevent Breast Cancer Reoccurrence

Newswise — PHILADELPHIA, PA, January 5, 2015 – Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of death among women worldwide, and five-year survival rates are just 58.4% in Brazil, lower than in many other regions. In a new study, however, researchers from Federal University of Santa Catarina provided Brazilian breast cancer patients with nutrition education and found it could benefit patients and may help prevent reoccurrence of the cancer.

Eighteen patients were included in the intervention group in this study, which was compared with a 75-patient control group. Over 12 months, the patients in the intervention group were educated about proper nutrition, asked to record their food consumption on a calendar, and contacted via phone by the researchers to learn about their food consumption and offer recommendations for improvement. Patients in the intervention group also attended meetings and received a monthly bulletin to further their nutrition education.

The main goals of the nutrition education were to reduce the patients’ consumption of red and processed meat and increase fruit and vegetable intake. These goals were selected because red and processed meats are purported to have a negative effect on cancer patients and the antioxidant effects of fruit and vegetables have been shown to help reduce the aggravating effects of chemotherapy treatment and, consequently, may reduce the risk of cancer reoccurrence.

“Although the sample size was small and data were collected at different times, this study provides evidence that women undergoing breast cancer treatment might benefit from immediate, individualized and detailed nutrition monitoring,” lead author Cecilia C. Schiavon, MsC, concluded.

The researchers based their conclusions on the fact that patients in the intervention group showed significant reductions in red and processed meat, consuming 50% less than peers in the comparison group. Comparison group patients also had two-times greater body weight increase during the study. Both red and processed meat consumption and body weight increases have been linked with increased oxidative stress, which has been shown to affect increased cancer recurrence. Fruit and vegetable intake was also increased among the intervention group and likely helped those patients limit BMI, unlike the comparison group, which had three times higher BMI over the course of the study.

Despite limitations in the study, including sample size, the study not being random, and data being collected at different times between groups (control and intervention group), the findings are promising. Further studies should be conducted to verify the conclusions of the authors of this study.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS“Nutrition Education Intervention for Women with Breast Cancer: Effect on Nutritional Factors and Oxidative Stress,” by Cecilia C. Schiavon, MsC; Francilene G. K. Vieira, PhD; Vanessa Ceccatto, MsC; Sheyla de Liz, MsC; Alyne L. Cardoso, MsC; Cristiane Sabel, BHSc; David A. Gonzalez-Chica, PhD; Edson L. da Silva, PhD; Daisy Galvan, MsC; Carlos G. Crippa, PhD; Patricia F. Di Pietro, PhD (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2014.09.005), Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Volume 47/Issue 1 (January-February 2015), published by Elsevier.

Full text of this article is available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Eileen Leahy at 732-238-3628 or [email protected] to obtain copies. To schedule an interview with the authors, please contact Cecilia Cesa Schiavon, MsC, Federal University of Santa Catarina at [email protected]. An audio podcast featuring an interview with Cecilia Cesa Schiavon is located at www.jneb.org/content/podcast. Excerpts from the podcast may be reproduced by the media; contact Eileen Leahy to obtain permission.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR (www.jneb.org) The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), the official journal of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB), is a refereed, scientific periodical that serves as a resource for all professionals with an interest in nutrition education and dietary/physical activity behaviors. The purpose of JNEB is to document and disseminate original research, emerging issues, and practices relevant to nutrition education and behavior worldwide and to promote healthy, sustainable food choices. It supports the society’s efforts to disseminate innovative nutrition education strategies, and communicate information on food, nutrition, and health issues to students, professionals, policy makers, targeted audiences, and the public.

The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior features articles that provide new insights and useful findings related to nutrition education research, practice, and policy. The content areas of JNEB reflect the diverse interests of health, nutrition, education, Cooperative Extension, and other professionals working in areas related to nutrition education and behavior. As the Society's official journal, JNEB also includes occasional policy statements, issue perspectives, and member communications.

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