Fiber Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: To measure the association between dietary fiber intake and eleven hormones and peptides in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.

METHODS: Intake of fiber from food and supplements was measured two to three years after breast cancer diagnosis in 493 postmenopausal women from three western states. Concurrently, a fasting blood sample was obtained for assay of estrone, estradiol, free estradiol, testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), leptin, C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1), and IGF-binding protein-3. Adjusted means of these hormones and peptides were calculated for categories of fiber intake.

RESULTS: High intake of dietary fiber was significantly (P
CONCLUSION: High fiber diets may be beneficial to postmenopausal breast cancer survivors due to fiber's favorable influence on sex hormones and peptides known to affect breast cancer prognosis.