Literature review – Notes from the journals

Preschool diet and adult risk of breast cancer Michels KB, Rosner BA, Chumlea WC, Colditz GA, Willett WC Int J Cancer 2006;118:749–54 Objective. To see whether events before puberty affect the adult risk of breast cancer. Study. Diet was looked at to see if, during the preschool age, it had an effect on a woman’s risk of breast cancer later in life. In total, 582 women with breast cancer and 1569 cancer-free controls were studied. Nurses asked about childhood diet (in relation to 30 specific items) at ages 3–5 years. Results. An increased risk of breast cancer was found among women who had frequently consumed chips at preschool age. Consumption of whole milk slightly decreased the risk of breast cancer. Conclusion. These data suggest a possible association between diet before puberty and the subsequent risk of breast cancer. The results need to be interpreted cautiously because of the known bias of differential recall of preschool diet. Further studies are needed, especially as in the UK in the early 1980s free school milk was withdrawn by the Tory government. ST AR PA PE R