Create a Breast Cancer Recurrence Prevention Plan: Here’s How
There are many things breast cancer survivors can do to reduce their risk of recurrence.
According to scientific research, breast cancer survivors can do things in their daily lives that help prevent cancer from recurring. In fact, survivors have some control over recurrence risk regardless of genetics or whether the cancer was in an advanced stage when diagnosed.
What risk mitigation steps are in your control?
People with a history of cancer are at higher risk of developing a second cancer, and breast cancer survivors often live in fear of recurrence. They often experience emotional challenges, ranging from anxiety and depression to distress.
Stress reduction techniques can help. But that’s only one among many things people can do in their daily lives — from lifestyle factors to medical management — to work to prevent the cancer from coming back.
Take control: Meds to more veggies
Elisa Krill-Jackson, M.D., a board-certified hematologist and oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, specializes in using medicines to reduce breast cancer risk, treat breast cancer and reduce the risk of recurrence in survivors.
Studies have shown that anti-estrogen therapies are among the medications that decrease the risk of metastatic recurrence in someone who has already had breast cancer. There are different options in medical therapy, including one of the oldest drugs for this use, tamoxifen.
But there’s more to prevention than taking a pill, according to Dr. Krill-Jackson.
In addition to medical options, lifestyle factors play a big role in preventing breast cancer recurrence, says Dr. Krill-Jackson.
“We know that a low-fat diet in somebody who has had breast cancer decreases the risk of breast cancer recurrence,” she says.
That doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating fatty foods; rather, limiting them, Dr. Krill-Jackson says.
“There are other factors that diminish recurrence risk, like exercise and minimizing alcohol. Any alcohol use at all increases the risk of breast cancer. The less alcohol, the less likely you are to develop either first breast cancer or even have a recurrence of breast cancer,” Dr. Krill-Jackson says.
The science of lifestyle prevention
The No.1 factor in a breast cancer recurrence prevention plan should be to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, says Tracy Crane, Ph.D., RDN, director of Lifestyle Medicine, Digital Health and Cancer Prevention at Sylvester.
“We know that breast cancer is one of the obesity-related cancers, and higher levels of obesity are related to higher levels of recurrence,” says Dr. Crane, who studies how lifestyle factors impact cancer risk reduction, treatment outcomes and survival.
However, body weight goes beyond obesity, Dr. Crane says. It also has to do with one’s body composition and gaining more lean mass through things like strength training. In fact, strength training is equally as important for cancer prevention as aerobic exercise.
Quality sleep and meal timing, which promote circadian alignment, may also be important.
Scientists have found an association between getting quality sleep and meal timing that may help prevent breast cancer recurrence, according to Dr. Crane.
An example of meal timing would be to eat one’s last meal by 8 p.m. or earlier and go at least 12 hours before eating again.
5 keys of a breast cancer recurrence prevention nutrition plan
Breast cancer patients are not only at increased risk for cancer recurrence but also cardiovascular and other diseases, like diabetes. So, a nutrition plan that aims to reduce breast cancer recurrence risk should also be heart healthy, according to Federika Garcia, M.S., RDN, LDN, CNSC, a clinical nutrition manager (oncology nutrition) at Sylvester who helped develop the nutrition plan that she and Dr. Crane will use in the recently launched OnPOINT – Precision Oncology Interventions in Nutrition and Training trial. OnPOINT focuses on breast, prostate and colorectal cancer patients who have undergone treatment. Researchers will explore whether a tailored intervention in diet and physical activity can improve quality of life, physical function, nutrition, and body composition.
Garcia says these are 5 foundations of a nutrition plan for breast cancer survivors:
- Lean into plant-based foods. One of the top nutritional recommendations in the American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity guideline for cancer survivors, of which Dr. Crane is an author, favors more of a plant-based (rather than an animal-based) diet. “That doesn’t mean one has to be vegetarian or vegan. It’s more about having a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, grains and legumes,” Garcia says.
- Think cruciferous foods. Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli or cauliflower.
- Orange and yellow are healthy. Garcia recommends increasing vegetables with high carotenoids, including orange and yellow veggies, like carrots and peppers.
- Include more fish and legumes. Fish, like salmon, has more omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory fat). Red meat has more pro-inflammatory fat.
- Fiber, fiber and more fiber. Fiber has a role in estrogen reduction and may help with hormone regulation, Garcia says. So, eat more fiber from things like legumes and whole grains, as well as fruits and vegetables.
Lisette Hilton is a contributor for Sylvester’s news service.
Tags: cancer recurrance, Dr. Elisa Krill-Jackson, Dr. Tracy Crane, Federika Garcia, food as medicine
