It is the most common cancer in the UK — and cases are rising at an alarming rate.
Breast cancer diagnoses have jumped by over a quarter since the 1990s, according to Cancer Research UK.
More worrying, the incidence of the deadly disease in seemingly healthy under 50 year-olds has risen by a tenth over the last 20 years.
As a former breast surgeon who was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 40-years-old, I’m often asked about the reason behind the trend — and what the public can do to ward off early-onset disease.
The truth is diet is only a very small risk factor when it comes to cancer. Most people with breast cancer have simply been struck by a bout of very bad luck.
Having said that, there is one change that is proven to prevent the disease. It’s a simple lifestyle tweak, and it could reduce your risk of breast cancer by up to 60 per cent.
I’m talking about reducing your alcohol intake — or even quitting booze completely.
It’s been estimated that around one in 10 breast cancer cases are linked to alcohol, according to a report published in the prestigious Lancet journal last year. That’s more than 4,000 patients a year.
What you eat after cancer is the same as what you should eat before cancer — a plant rich diet full of fruit and veg and grains, according to the World Cancer Research Fund guidelines. Pictured, Dr O’Riordan before her op for recurrent breast cancer
There are two reasons why drinking can raise your risk of breast cancer.
Firstly, booze is broken down in the body to a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is known to stop cells repairing the damage to your DNA that can trigger the development of tumours.
It also increases the amount of hormones in our body, such as oestrogen and insulin, that can make cells in breast tissue divide more frequently, increasing the likelihood of a cancer-causing mutation.
The more you drink, the greater your increase in risk.
If you drink an average of two units a day, over the course of a decade — the equivalent of one medium-sized glass of wine — your risk increases by 13 per cent.
Another way to illustrate this risk is this: 24 out of every 1000 50-something women will get breast cancer.
But if they all drank two units a day, an extra three women would develop the disease.
If you drink six units a day, your risk increases by 60 per cent.
Some scientists have blamed the rising tide of breast cancer on the increasingly boozy nature of British women.
According to recent data collected by the World Health Organisation, the number of women engaging in heavy drinking sessions rose by 57 per cent between 2016 and 2019.
The above graph shows the change in cancer case rates around the world
In 2016, 13.8 per cent of women in the general population reported heavy episodic drinking – and this had risen to 21.7 per cent by 2019.
According to estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), alcohol consumption was responsible for almost 40, 000 new breast cancer cases across Europe in 2020 alone.
But what about the plethora of claims you’ve likely read about cancer and diet, suggesting that juice cleanses and avoiding dairy will stop the disease in its tracks?
Well, I’m afraid to say most of this is bogus.
However, there are some diet recommendations that I’d give to women looking to reduce their risk of the disease.
It’s mostly the same advice I’d give to anyone who wants to improve their overall health, in fact.
Firstly, an obvious one: eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
There is no one wonderful fruit or vegetable that will prevent breast cancer, but studies show those who eat a wider variety of them are less likely to develop the disease.
For example, one 2019 study found that consuming more than five and a half portions of fruit and vegetables per day was associated with an 11 per cent lower risk of breast cancer.
This was compared to the risk for women consuming 2.5 portions or less.
Scientists aren’t exactly sure what the reason for this link is, but it may be due to the protective effect of antioxidants, essential amino acids and phytoestrogens that are bound up in fruit and veg.
It’s also worth upping your consumption of fibre — a nutrient in plant-derived food like bread, cereal and veggies that doesn’t get fully digested by the gut.
Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple
Fibre both helps to encourage the digestion process, moving waste through the intestine, and feeds the trillions of healthy bacteria in the gut.
Brown rice, oats, wholewheat couscous and quinoa are all great examples.
But if you’re eating white potatoes and white bread, you’re likely not getting enough of this vital nutrient.
There is some evidence that fibre may reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence, possibly due to the role of the microbiome, but further research is needed to find out more.
Finally, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve not the time to cook everything in your diet from scratch. It takes time, energy and money to prepare food.
Try to eat as healthily as you can for most of the week, aiming to cook 80 per cent of your meals from scratch.
Half your plate should be full of fruit and vegetables, with a good source of protein.
If you do that, then indulging in packaged foods, cakes, pizzas and crisps every once in a while won’t harm you.
If you want a bar of chocolate or a burger occasionally, this is ok. There is nothing you need to avoid as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
If you want a bar of chocolate or a burger occasionally, this is ok. There is nothing you need to avoid as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
One Lancet study last year that looked at over a quarter of a million adults in Europe found those who ate the most ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had a 10 per cent increased chance of developing cancer in their lifetime.
That takes a woman’s lifetime risk (if they live until they’re 80) from 40 to 44 per cent.
But this risk only increased with animal-based products and things like artificially sweetened drinks and breads.
Plant-based UPFs like falafels, vegetable spreads, and vegan burgers had little impact.
Evidence to date suggests you’d need to be eating vast amounts of UPFs per week to influence your risk.
- ‘The Cancer Roadmap: Real science to guide your treatment path’ by Dr Liz O’Riordan will be released on January 30, 2025
