Dietary lignan intakes in relation to survival among women with breast cancer

09 februari 2010

Lignan intakes have already been positively associated with reduced breast cancer risks, but any survey has established the relationship between lignan intake and breast cancer survival.

We follow 1122 women with primary, incident, histologically confirmed breast cancer between 1996 and 2001, based on an extensive food frequency questionnaire, lignan intake was calculated using published food composition data.

Of the 1122 women, 160 had died by the end of follow-up. But, we had a statistically significant reduction in the risk of all cause mortality (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.26-0.91) and a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer mortality (HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11-0.76), among postmenopausal women only.
Moreover, higher intakes of dried beans are associated with overall mortality (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.36-1.03). This is not true for fruit, vegetable, or grains.

This survey suggest that higher lignan intakes may be associated with improved survival among postmenopausal women with breast cancer