dietary lignans may decrease risk of breast cancer (but ER- breast cancer only)

[Lani]

and in premenopausal women only--

They may increase the chance of ER+ breast cancer

Double-edged sword, it seems!


Dietary lignan intakes and risk of breast cancer by tumor estrogen receptor status
Journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Publisher Springer Netherlands
ISSN 0167-6806 (Print) 1573-7217 (Online)
Subject Medicine
Issue Volume 99, Number 3 / October, 2006
Category Epidemiology
DOI 10.1007/s10549-006-9196-x
Pages 309-311
Online Date Thursday, March 16, 2006

Susan E. McCann1, 5 , Swati Kulkarni2, Maurizio Trevisan3, Dominica Vito3, Jing Nie3, Stephen B. Edge2, Paola Muti4 and Jo L. Freudenheim3

(1) Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
(2) Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
(3) Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
(4) Department of Epidemiology, Italian National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
(5) Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
Received: 3 February 2006 Accepted: 7 February 2006 Published online: 16 March 2006

Abstract We examined the association of dietary lignan intake with estrogen receptor negative (ER?) and ER positive (ER+) breast cancer risk in a breast cancer case–control study. Among premenopausal women only, there was a reduced risk of ER? breast cancer for those in the highest compared to the lowest quartile of lignan intake suggesting that the observed negative association of lignans with breast cancer may be limited to ER? tumors.
Keywords breast cancer - estrogen receptor - lignans - phytoestrogens


Susan E. McCann
Email: susan.mccann@roswellpark.org
Phone: +1-(716)-845-8842
Fax: +1-(716)-845-8487

[Hopeful]

I googled the title of the article, and got a link to a press release for Susan McCann presenting a speech on the subject last April. For some reason, the link won't work when I try to post it, so here is a cut and paste from it:


Susan McCann to Discuss Research in the Association of Dietary Lignan Intake with ER Negative/Positive Breast Cancer Risk


Washington, NY – Susan McCann, PhD, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will discuss lignans and their role in cancer development at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Washington, DC.

Dr. McCann will discuss the findings of her research in an oral presentation, “Dietary Lignan Intakes and Risk of Breast Cancer by Tumor Estrogen Receptor Status,” Tuesday, April 4, 12:55 – 1:10 pm, Room 206, Washington Convention Center.

Lignans are naturally occurring phytoestrogens found in vegetables, fruits, seeds and grains that possess a number of characteristics that could affect hormone metabolism and breast cancer development. This research suggests that a negative association of lignans with breast cancer may be stronger for ER negative tumors. A reduction in ER negative tumors is important because these tumors are more difficult to treat.

Researchers examined the association of dietary lignan intake with ER negative and ER positive breast cancer risk in the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer Study, a study of 1,122 women with primary breast cancer and 2,036 women without cancer. Women were asked about intakes of over 100 foods in the past several years, from which dietary lignan intakes were then calculated. Lignan intake was unrelated to ER positive breast cancer in either pre- or post-menopausal women. Among premenopausal women only, those in the highest versus lowest quartile of lignan intake had an approximately 50 percent reduction in risk of ER negative breast cancer.

Dr. McCann’s research interests include nutritional and molecular epidemiology including the impact of diet on cancer of the reproductive organs. She is currently conducting an investigation of the relationship between dietary phytoestrogen intake on hormone metabolism.

End of Excerpt

The bolding in the above paragraph is mine; I point it out only because it is discordant with the statement that lignan intake increases the risk of E+ breast cancer. Did I misread something?

Hopeful

[Lani]

They should be - signs--computers do crazy things!

The article found the breast cancer risk reduction only held for premenopausal ER- breast cancer, not for postmenopausal ER- breast cancer and not for pre OR post menopausal ER+ breast cancer

Things seem complicated, as usual!