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Breast cancer

Read on for detailed information about how various oils may help protect against breast cancer.

Flaxseed
In vitro (test tube) and animal studies have suggested that the lignans in flaxseed may reduce breast carcinogenesis and metastasis (ability of cancer cells to migrate to other parts of the body) (1, 2). Women who develop breast cancer generally have a 10-20% higher concentration of the estrogen hormone estradiol (3). This suggests that the reported anti-estrogenic activity of flaxseed-derived lignans may be health protective in women who have high circulating levels of this hormone. Also, it has been suggested that a high intake of dietary fiber, such as that found in flaxseed, may reduce the risk of cancer by increasing the excretion of carcinogenic bile salts from the colon (4). A randomized, controlled clinical trial of 10g/day ground flaxseed in postmenopausal women showed an increase of the urinary ratio of 2-hydroxyestrogen (2-OH) to 16-á-hydroxyestrogen (16-á-OH) estrogen metabolites, as well as an increase in 2-OH metabolites alone; both of these ratio alterations are considered to be protective against breast cancer (5). Another randomized controlled clinical trial reported a significant, dose-dependent reduction of serum 17â-estradiol in postmenopausal women who supplemented with 5-10 grams per day of flaxseed (3). Since epidemiological studies show approximately 10% increases in 17â-estradiol in breast cancer patients, these findings may indicate a protective effect (3).

When flaxseeds are consumed, their plant lignans, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) and matairesinol diglycoside (MDG), are converted in the body to the mammalian lignans, enterodiol and enterolactone; women with a history of breast cancer have significantly lower levels of enterodiol and enterolactone than women without cancer (6, 7). Additionally, lignans can exert anti-estrogenic effects when circulating levels of estrogen are raised, and lifetime estrogen exposure has been linked to risk of breast cancer. The combination of these findings suggests that plant lignans may reduce the risk of estrogen-related breast cancer(6, 7). In addition to the effects of lignans, the fiber found in flaxseeds may help to remove estrogen, as well as other potentially carcinogenic compounds, from the body (8, 4).

Clinical research has suggested that flaxseeds may beneficially alter levels of compounds that are used as markers for risk of breast cancer development. An increased ratio of the estrogen metabolites 2-hydroxyestrogen (2-OH) to 16-alpha-hydroxyestrogen (16-á-OH) has been suggested to be preventive against breast cancer. In clinical trials, 5-10 grams of daily ground flaxseed consumption has been shown to increase the 2-OH:16-á-OH ratio (8, 5. High levels of serum17â-estradiol may be another biomarker for increased breast cancer risk, as epidemiological studies have shown an approximately 10% increase in serum 17â-estradiol in breast cancer patients; a randomized, controlled, clinical trial in postmenopausal women supplemented with 5-10 grams per day of ground flaxseed for 7 weeks reported a significant, dose-dependent reduction of serum 17â-estradiol (7).

Flaxseeds have also been beneficial in treating breast cancer in animals. A reduction in breast tumor growth, as well as reductions in levels of compounds involved in tumor growth and metastasis (cancer cells spreading throughout the body), have been shown to occur after supplementing with flaxseeds and/or plant lignan extracts (2, 9). Additionally, breast cancer cells treated with purified enterodiol and enterolactone have been shown to have a reduced ability to metastasize (1). This effect of flaxseed is similar to that of the breast cancer drug, Tamoxifen. The positive effects of flaxseed in these studies have been shown both in breast cancers that express estrogen receptors and in those that do not, suggesting that these effects may be mediated through estrogen-like lignan activity and also by some other, still to be determined, physiological mechanism.(1).

The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as curative or prescriptive advice.

Bibliography
1. Chen J, Thompson LU. Lignans and tamoxifen, alone or in combination, reduce human breast cancer cell adhesion, invasion and migration in vitro. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2003;80(2):163-70.
2. Dabrosin C, Chen J, Wang L, Thompson LU. Flaxseed inhibits metastasis and decreases extracellular vascular endothelial growth factor in human breast cancer xenografts. Cancer Lett 2002;185(1):31-7.
3. Hutchins AM, Martini MC, Olson BA, Thomas W, Slavin JL. Flaxseed consumption influences endogenous hormone concentrations in postmenopausal women. Nutr Cancer 2001;39(1):58-65.
4. Adlercreutz H. Does fiber-rich food containing animal lignan precursors protect against both colon and breast cancer? An extension of the "fiber hypothesis". Gastroenterology 1984;86(4):761-4.
5. Haggans CJ, Hutchins AM, Olson BA, Thomas W, Martini, MC, Slavin JL. Effect of flaxseed consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in postmenopausal women. Nutr Cancer 1999;33(2):188-95.
6. Adlercreutz H, Fotsis T, Heikkinen R, Dwyer JT, Woods M, Goldin BR et al. Excretion of the lignans enterolactone and enterodiol and of equol in omnivorous and vegetarian postmenopausal women and in women with breast cancer. Lancet 1982;2(8311):1295-9.
7. 58-65.
8. Haggans CJ, Travelli EJ, Thomas W, Martini MC, Slavin JL. The effect of flaxseed and wheat bran consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000;9(7):719-25.
9. Thompson LU, Rickard SE, Orcheson LJ, Seidl MM. Flaxseed and its lignan and oil components reduce mammary tumor growth at a late stage of carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis 1996;17(6):1373-6.


 
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