that a high-fat diet is associated with poor breast cancer outcomes; Japanese breast cancer patients eating a low-fat diet were found to be more likely to have localized disease without lymph node involvement and a better prognosis. Previous studies have shown that y-linolenic acid (GLA), a product from linoleic acid (LA) metabolism, inhibits development of mammary adenocarcinomas in rats. The present study compared the effects of LA and GLA on human breast cancer cell growth and metastasis in mice.
Tribble and Frank (1994) in their article "Dietary antioxidants, cancer, and atherosclerotic heart disease" report antioxidants which include vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, demonstrate disease-preventing properties for cancer and heart disease. Cancer is a multistage process that includes DNA damage in early stages, and culminates in the development and spread of cell populations which are unresponsive to normal controls of cell proliferation. Oxidation damages DNA which can result in mutations. If changes in the DNA lead to activated or altered expression of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, malignant tumors may develop. Therefore changes in the DNA leading to cancer and the progression of premalignant lesions may involve oxidants. Antioxidant defense networks with agents which prevent or reduce oxidant generation include vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene. Selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese are also found to function in the antioxidant network, acting as cofactors for enzymes with antioxidant activity.
Silvester and Cummings (1995) report on meat consumption and bowel cancer in their article "Does digestibility of meat protein help explain large bowel cancer risk?" Epidemiological studies show that meat consumption presents a risk for large bowel cancer. Heterocyclic aromatic amines found in cooked meat are procarcinogens and fat found in meat may be cancer-promoting. It is also theorized that undi...