Mortality trends and past and current dietary factors of breast cancer in Spain

Abstract

Spain had one of the lowest breast cancer mortality (BCM) rates in Europe a decade ago but this is no longer the case. A study of the trends of breast cancer mortality in Spain during the last 30 years, and an analysis, at the ecological level, of the current and past dietary patterns associated with breast cancer mortality have been conducted. Age standardized rates and standardized mortality rates (SMR) for this period were calculated. Dietary information about 20 different groups of foods for the 50 Spanish provinces was obtained from two National Household Budget and Expenditure Surveys, conducted in 1964-1965 and 1980-1981. Simple correlation coefficients were calculated, and multiple regression (dependent variables: BCM and breast cancer SMR) with a stepwise procedure was performed. Trends of breast cancer mortality in Spain for the last 35 years indicated a 100% increase in the 35-64 years group. Results indicate important changes in food consumption patterns in Spain, departure from the traditional Spanish diet, and the association of breast cancer mortality with past (15 years period) consumption of beef and total meat and the current consumption of vegetable oils, among other features of interest. Past consumption of meat and particularly beef meat seems to be associated with current breast cancer mortality rates in Spain. However, results at ecological level need to be confirmed in individuals.

Olive oil consumption and risk of breast cancer in the Canary Islands: a population-based case–control study

“…These changes correlate with an increase in the consumption of milk, meat and animal fat products. In Spain, it has been accompanied with a decrease in olive oil and an increase of other vegetables oils consumption 21 . Breast cancer incidence and mortality rates are even higher in the Canary Islands.…”

A high protein moderate carbohydrate diet fed at discrete meals reduces early progression of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced breast tumorigenesis in rats

“…Some studies report that dietary protein, and particularly consumption of animal protein, is linked to increased risk of breast cancer [4,5]. However, recent large-scale evaluations have failed to identify intakes of meat, eggs, or dairy products as risk factors [6].…”

Meat, fish and egg intake and risk of breast cancer

“…In 1979, Gray et al 1 reported that among countries, per capita consumption of animal protein, meat and egg intakes were highly correlated with breast cancer incidence rates (r=0.80, 0.73 and 0.76, respectively), even after controlling for height, weight and age at menarche. Later ecological analyses have supported the association between total meat consumption and breast cancer incidence in Norway,2 and breast cancer mortality in Spain3 and several other countries 4. In contrast, several ecological studies have found an inverse relationship between fish or marine fat consumption and breast cancer mortality 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.…”