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 Fortunately, breast cancer is one of the best
studied types of cancer in this regard, and research has shown there
are some things you can do that might be helpful.
Staying as healthy as possible is more important than ever after
breast cancer treatment. Controlling your weight, exercising, and
eating right may help you lower your risk of your breast cancer
coming back, and may help protect you from other health problems.
Getting to a healthy weight
If you have had breast cancer, getting to and staying at a healthy
weight might help lower your risk. A lot of research suggests that
being overweight or obese (very overweight) raises the risk of
breast cancer coming back. It has also been linked with a higher
risk of getting lymphedema, as well as a higher risk of dying from
breast cancer.
However, there is less research to show whether losing weight during
or after treatment can actually lower the risk of breast cancer
coming back. Large studies are now looking at this issue. This is
complicated by the fact that many women gain weight (without trying)
during breast cancer treatment, which itself might increase risk.
Of course, for women who are overweight, getting to a healthy weight
can also have other health benefits. For example, weight loss has
been shown to improve quality of life and physical functioning among
overweight breast cancer survivors. Getting to a healthy weight
might also lower your risk of getting some other cancers (including
a new breast cancer), as well as some other chronic diseases.
Because of the possible health benefits of losing weight, many
health care providers now encourage women who are overweight to get
to and stay at a healthy weight. Still, it’s important to discuss
this with your doctor before trying to lose weight, especially if
you are still getting treatment or have just finished it. Your
health care team can help you create a plan to lose weight safely.
Being physically active
Among breast cancer survivors, studies have found a consistent link
between physical activity and a lower risk of breast cancer coming
back and of dying from breast cancer. Physical activity has also
been linked to improvements in quality of life, physical
functioning, and fewer fatigue symptoms.
It’s not clear exactly how much activity might be needed, but more
seems to be better. More vigorous activity may also be more helpful
than less vigorous activity. But further studies are needed to
follow up on these findings.
Some people used to think that breast cancer survivors with
lymphedema should avoid certain arm exercises and vigorous
activities. But studies have found that such physical activity is
safe. In fact, it might actually lower the risk of lymphedema, or
improve lymphedema for women who already have it.
As with other types of lifestyle changes, it’s important to talk
with your treatment team before starting a new physical activity
program. This will likely include meeting with a physical therapist
as well. Your team can help you plan a program that can be both safe
and effective for you.
Eating a healthy diet
Most research on possible links between diet and the risk of breast
cancer coming back has looked at broad dietary patterns, rather than
specific foods. In general, it’s not clear if eating any specific
type of diet can help lower your risk of breast cancer coming back.
Studies have found that breast cancer survivors who eat diets high
in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, chicken, and fish tend to live
longer than those who eat diets that have more refined sugars, fats,
red meats (such as beef, pork, and lamb), and processed meats (such
as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs). But it’s not clear
if this is due to effects on breast cancer or possibly to other
health benefits of eating a healthy diet.
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Two large studies (known as WINS and WHEL) have
looked at the effects of lowering fat intake after being diagnosed
with early stage breast cancer. One study found that women on a
low-fat diet had a small reduction in the risk of cancer coming
back, but these women had also lost weight as a result of their
diet, which might have affected the results. The other study did not
find a link between a diet low in fat and the risk of cancer coming
back.
Many women have questions about whether soy products are safe to eat
after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Soy foods are rich sources of
compounds called isoflavones that can have estrogen-like properties
in the body. However, some recent large studies have not found that
soy food intake affects breast cancer coming back or survival rates.
While eating soy foods doesn’t seem to pose a risk, the evidence
regarding the effects of taking soy or isoflavone supplements is not
as clear.
While the links between specific types of diets and breast cancer
coming back are not certain, there are clearly health benefits to
eating well. For example, diets that are rich in plant sources are
often an important part of getting to and staying at a healthy
weight. Eating a healthy diet can also help lower your risk for some
other health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Dietary supplements
Women often want to know if there are any dietary or nutritional
supplements they can take to help lower their risk. So far, no
dietary supplements (including vitamins, minerals, and herbal
products) have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of breast
cancer progressing or coming back. This doesn’t mean that none will
help, but it’s important to know that none have been proven to do
so.
Dietary supplements are not regulated like medicines in the United
States – they do not have to be proven effective (or even safe)
before being sold, although there are limits on what they’re allowed
to claim they can do. If you're thinking about taking any type of
nutritional supplement, talk to your health care team. They can help
you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that
might be harmful.
Alcohol
It’s clear that alcohol – even as little as a few drinks a week –
increases a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. But whether
alcohol affects the risk of breast cancer coming back is not as
clear. Drinking alcohol can raise the levels of estrogen in the
body, which in theory could increase the risk of breast cancer
coming back. But there is no strong evidence from studies to support
this.
As part of its guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for
cancer prevention, the American Cancer Society recommends that women
who drink alcohol limit their intake to no more than 1 drink a day
to help lower their risk of getting certain types of cancer
(including breast cancer). But for women who have completed cancer
treatment, the effects of alcohol on cancer recurrence risk are
largely unknown. This issue is complicated by the fact that low to
moderate alcohol use (1 drink a day or less) has been linked with a
lower risk of heart disease.
Because this issue is complex, it’s important to discuss it with
your health care team, taking into account your risk of breast
cancer coming back (or getting a new breast cancer), your risk of
heart disease, and your risk of other health issues linked to
alcohol use.
[The American Cancer Society medical
and editorial content team]
Our team is made up of doctors and
master's-prepared nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well
as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience
in medical writing. |
