Diet may play key role in breast cancer risk

A prescription to buy Tamoxifen is one of the most effective ways a woman who formerly had breast cancer can prevent a recurrence of the disease. However, diet may also play an important role in her future risk.

For example, a team of researchers from Marshall University recently showed that female mice fed a diet a rich in walnuts were significantly less likely to develop breast cancer.

"These reductions are particularly important when you consider that the mice were genetically programmed to develop cancer at a high rate," said Elaine Hardman, who led the study. "We were able to reduce the risk for cancer even in the presence of a preexisting genetic mutation."

Other studies have shown that women who eat healthy diets that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants are less likely to develop breast cancer than women who eat high-fat diets.

While a prescription to buy Tamoxifen is one of the most powerful tools to minimize cancer risk, a healthy diet needs to be a part of any treatment strategy.