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No area of oncology is more complex and controversial than the relationship of cancer and diet. Everyone would like to believe that there is some diet which can substantially affect the likelihood of cancer, or better still to cure it once contracted. But to date, the evidence of the effect of diet is unclear and often inconsistent. All reputable sources agree that no diet outright cures cancer. Nor is there strong evidence to support the view that any particular diet prevents contracting it. But there are many studies that suggest that occurrence, recurrence and survivability may be affected by the foods we choose. Though far from positive, man studies have been examined by researchers at Cornell University. These studies have been linked to lower death rates, an increased survivability rate by five or ten years based on certain dietary decisions. The Nurses Health study examined 1,982 women who had already developed breast cancer. These women were followed and studied over a period of 13 years. Of those women, over 1,200 had cancers that had yet to metastasize (the spreading of a primary tumor to other areas thus producing secondary tumors of the same type). The survival rates of individuals with cancer whose disease has metastasized are much lower than those whose disease has not. Some of the women studied ate fish and poultry in higher quantities. These items contain protein and omega-3 fatty acids. These women had a much lower risk of death than women in the group who did not consume similar quantities. It was also determined that women who ate greater amounts of hydrogenated oils had a much higher rate of death. Another study was conducted by the National Caner Institute in which 2,400 individuals were studied. Of these individuals 975 women, who had already contracted breast cancer consumed a low fat diet consisting of 33.3 grams of fat per day for five years. Another 1,462 women consumed 51.3 grams of fat per day. The group consuming the lower amount of fat experienced a 42% reduction in their rate of recurrence. The problem with many of these studies is that they are observing only associations, not causation. It is extremely unclear from the data which has been compiled what data is actually relevant. Do the dietary decisions of these women merely reflect the fact that women who focus on maintaining a healthy diet also tend to make healthier lifestyle choices overall? Or, are the foods these women consume actually helpful or harmful, and to what degree? As with many studies that involve fruits and vegetables the answer remains unclear. Aside from those foods which contain antioxidants, and effects deemed beneficial are not done so with confidence. In this case however, the evidence is strong. Foods high in antioxidants can and do aid in reducing the chances of contracting breast cancer. Free radicals within one's blood stream are ionized atoms that are capable of harming cells. Antioxidants assist in ridding the body of these atoms. They combine with the free radicals causing them to be rendered harmless. But fat studies are less clear. The leading theory says, since high estrogen levels are known to highly correlate with higher breast cancer risk, and fat efficiently stores estrogen, then lowering fat lowers the risk. Conclusions are drawn from time to time that are rather flawed. For example there is the belief that eating fat causes an individual to be fat. It is not necessarily the consumption of fat that causes higher body fat. Consuming more calories than the body uses causes one's body to store the excess calories as fat, thus leading to a higher body fat percentage. In addition, fat contains more calories per unit weight than other foods. Therefore the route is indirect. The evidence is not conclusive, but experts do agree on one thing: maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet is an excellent decision. Whether these items lower the risk of contracting breast cancer or not for the 1 in 12 women who will contract it at some stage in their life, being in optimal health will aid in combating the disease before, during and after.
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