Association between diet during preadolescence and adolescence and risk for breast cancer during adulthood

It is increasingly evident that diet during preadolescence and adolescence has important consequences for breast cancer during adulthood. However, only a few epidemiologic studies have been conducted on the relationship between diet during preadolescence and adolescence, and cancer during adulthood. This situation is partly because of methodological challenges such as the long latency period, the complexity of breast cancer, the lack of validated diet assessment tools, and the large number of subjects that must be followed, all of which increase costs. In addition, funding opportunities are few for such studies. Results from the small number of epidemiologic studies are inconsistent, but evidence is emerging that specific aspects of the diet during preadolescence and adolescence are important. For example, during preadolescence and adolescence, severe calorie restriction with poor food quality, high total fat intake, and alcohol intake tend to increase risk, whereas high soy intake decreases risk. Research on preadolescent and adolescent diet is a paradigm shift in breast cancer investigations. This research paradigm has the potential to produce transformative knowledge to inform breast cancer prevention strategies through dietary intervention during preadolescence and adolescence, rather than later in life, as is current practice, when it is perhaps less effective. Methodological challenges that have plagued the field might now be overcome by leveraging several existing large-scale cohort studies in the U.S. and around the world to investigate the role of diet during preadolescence and adolescence in risk for adult breast cancer.