Cut Carbs to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence

Reducing the risk of breast cancer could be as simple as cutting the carbs. Scientists have found that women whose tumor tissue is positive for the IGF-1 receptor can reduce their risk of breast cancer recurrence by limiting carbohydrates.

In the past, receptors for IGF1 have been found in breast tumor tissue, and the expression of those receptors may contribute to treatment resistance among breast cancer survivors. Because diet can influence insulin activation, the scientists wanted to see whether diet could also impact breast cancer prognosis.

The researchers assessed carbohydrate intake and IGF1 receptor status when it came to tumor growth. They tested whether activating the insulin/insulin-like growth-factor access could impact breast cancer. Since carbs stimulate the biological pathway that can increase concentrations of IGF1, the scientists focused on carb intake.

"We found an association between increase breast cancer recurrence in women with a primary breast cancer tumor that was positive for the IGF1 receptor, which is consistent with other studies," said Jennifer Edmond, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We further found that a decreased carbohydrate intake was associated with decreased breast cancer recurrence for these women."

The findings reveal that it just might be possible to personalize recommended diets for breast cancer survivors based on molecular characteristics of their primary tumor. That said, further research is needed to confirm these findings.

"There are still many unanswered questions regarding this study, including what type of carbohydrate-containing foods may be the most important foods that breast cancer survivors should limit," said Edmond in a news release. "Breast cancer survivors should continue to follow a plant-based dietary pattern as suggested by the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Association, which means eating a lot of fiber rich vegetables, legumes, and fruits; consuming whole grains and also limiting refined grains, starchy vegetables, and added sugar."

The findings are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.