Analysing Research on Breast Cancer Prevention and Survival
Breast Cancer Survivors
World Cancer Research Fund International
UK, 2014, 53 pagesAlthough there is a widely held perception that breast cancer is an issue only for the
western world, the reality is that it is the most common cancer in women both in the
developed and the developing world. Indeed, the incidence of breast cancer is rising
in the developing world because of increased life expectancy, urbanisation, and the
adoption of western lifestyles [1].As early diagnosis and treatments for breast cancer improve, women are not only
surviving the disease – they are surviving for longer. Investigating whether lifestyle factors
could play a role in improving survival rates is also becoming increasingly important.
Understanding the science behind surviving breast cancer, however, is a relatively new
area of research, but there is growing evidence that lifestyle choices may help to reduce
the risk of having another diagnosis of breast cancer or dying from the disease.World Cancer Research Fund International’s Continuous Update Project report on breast
cancer survivors is the most rigorous, systematic, global analysis of the scientific
research currently available on breast cancer survivors, and how certain lifestyle factors
affect how likely it is that a person will survive after developing the disease.The report is the latest from our Continuous Update Project - the world’s largest source
of scientific research on cancer prevention and survivorship through diet, weight and
physical activity. The research builds on our 2007 Expert Report on the links between
lifestyle and cancer. At that time the research on surviving cancer was even more limited
than it is today, and there was insufficient evidence to make recommendations specific to
cancer survivors. However, there was enough evidence to conclude that cancer survivors
should in general follow the recommendations for cancer prevention (see our Cancer
Prevention Recommendations at wcrf.org).Seven years on, we present World Cancer Research Fund International’s first systematic
analysis of global research focusing specifically on surviving breast cancer. In this section
we offer an overview of that work and the scientific findings and conclusions made by the
independent panel of experts who analysed the research.How the research was conducted
The report specifically focuses on:
- female breast cancer survivors who are living with a diagnosis of cancer, including
those who have recovered from the disease;
- the link between diet, weight, physical activity and the likelihood of female breast
cancer survivors dying from breast cancer, second primary breast cancer (i.e. a new
cancer occurring in the same breast after treatment or in the opposite breast), or any
other disease.BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS REPORT 2014
Breast cancer survivors are defined in the report as women who have received a
diagnosis of breast cancer – from the point of diagnosis, through and after treatment.
For the report, the global scientific research on diet, weight, physical activity and female
breast cancer survivors was gathered and analysed, and then independently assessed
by a panel of leading international scientists in order to draw conclusions about surviving
breast cancer and reducing the risk of a second primary breast cancer.
The total number of women in the 85 studies reviewed was 164,416; and the total
number of deaths in the studies came to 42,572.
