Specific dairy foods may contribute to breast cancer risk in women, although the risk varies by source of dairy

In February 2017 researchers from the USA published the results of their study to assess the associations between the types and quantity of dairy foods consumed and the risk of breast cancer. 1,941 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,237 individuals who acted as controls were involved in the study. Information on the consumption of dairy foods was obtained via a food-frequency questionnaire. Results showed that total dairy consumption was associated with a 15% reduction in breast cancer risk.  A higher consumption of yoghurt was also associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer but a higher consumption of American, cheddar, and cream cheeses was associated with a borderline increased risk. A further analysis revealed that when oestrogen receptor status was taken into consideration, the association between dairy foods and breast cancer were mixed and generally reflected those of overall breast cancer. However, an increase in milk consumption appeared to be associated with an increased risk of oestrogen receptor negative breast cancer but a reduced risk of oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer.

McCann SE et al. Usual Consumption of Specific Dairy Foods Is Associated with Breast Cancer in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Data Bank and BioRepository. Curr Dev Nutr 2017 Feb 16;1(3):e000422 

Leave a Reply