High sugar intake may increase breast cancer risk

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Researchers at the Laval University in Quebechave found that consumption of three or more sugary drinks per week can increase breast density, something already known to increase an individual's risk of breast cancer. Their study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, reviewed the data from 1,555 female participants. Respondents, which included a blend of both pre-menopausal and half post-menopausal women, were questioned about their intake of sugary drinks (portion size of 355 milliliter or greater). Researchers then checked participants' breast density via mammogram. Breast density in the tested individuals varied from a mean of 26.2 percent for those that did not consume sugary drinks to a mean of 29.6 percent for those that consumed three or more sugary beverages a week. It is thought that sugar increases breast density by boosting tissue growth. Denser breasts have more cells, which provides additional cells for cancer infestation.

The study authors also cited the role of the drug tamoxifen on breast density. Women with a high risk of developing breast cancer who received tamoxifen for four and a half years saw a breast density reduction of 6.4 percent.