Abstract A111: Sweetened beverages, sweetened foods, glycemic load, and breast cancer recurrence

Abstract

Abstract Background: The role of sweetened food and beverage intake in breast cancer recurrence has been largely unexplored despite mechanistic evidence that these dietary factors may be associated with elevated glycemic load, insulin levels and proinflammatory response. Objective: To assess risk for recurrent or a new primary breast cancer event among 2832 breast cancer survivors enrolled in the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study in relation to baseline sweetened beverage and sweetened food intakes and glycemic index/glycemic load. Design: Prospective sub-group analysis of dietary GI, GL, white bread/rolls/crackers, sweet food and sweetened beverage intakes, as assessed using the Arizona Food Frequency Questionnaire (AFFQ), and new breast cancer events (N=471). Descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables, were performed to assess hazard ratio for recurrence risk by dietary exposure. Results: Study subjects consumed, on average, 281.7±111.4 g/d carbohydrate (CHO) and 25.2±12.3 g/d of dietary fiber and had an estimated GL of 129.5±52.2.While GI and GL were not significantly associated with breast cancer events, postmenopausal women who reported a higher intake of sweetened beverages demonstrated a significant elevation in risk for recurrent disease (HR 1.46; 95% CI,1.07–1.98). Intake of sweetened beverages was greater among minority women and was associated with higher body mass index and lower reported physical activity suggesting sweetened beverage intake may be a surrogate of other risk factors. Conclusions: High intake of sweetened beverages, including carbonated beverages and sweetened fruit drinks, is associated with an increased risk for breast cancer recurrence among postmenopausal women previously treated for early stage disease. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):A111.