Food Intake and Breast Cancer in Women of Joinville: a Case-Control Study

Abstract

Introduction: Inadequate food habits may increase the risk of breast cancer. Objective: To compare food intake considered to be protective of breast cancer and fatty foods in women with and without the disease in Joinville, Santa Catarina. Methods: Case-control study. Patients with breast cancer from a referral center for the treatment of this disease were interviewed, who were eligible because they live in town and for having discovered the disease between the years 2000 and 2007. A neighborhood control and a health unit control were selected, age-matched. A questionnaire with the following variables was applied: reproductive, health habits, disease history and dietary habits: frequency of weekly intake of healthy foods and daily fat foods. Results: 170 cases and 340 controls were assessed, and no difference was observed in mean age between groups. Fruit intake was more frequent among cases (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.28) and whole milk intake, three or more times a day (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.42 to 4.58). By contrast, consumption of cookies among cases (OR 0.36, 95% IC 0.18 to 0.73) was almost half than that reported by controls. After adjusting the analysis for confounding and consumption of protective foods variables, whole milk intake remained higher among cases (p=0.032), while fruit intake reduced its statistical significance (p=0.089). The intake of fatty foods French fries, hamburgers and hot dogs did not differ between cases and controls. Conclusion: The highlights were higher intake of fruit and whole milk among cases.