BRiC's Collective Voice: Diet and Breast Cancer; Nov 22, 2019.

"So, have you introduced more greens in your diet, since diagnosis?"

This week our interactive discussion focused on perceptions of how diet may or may not be related to breast cancer. How our diets may have influenced our likelihood for diagnosis, and whether feeling that we have control over our diet post diagnosis can help us stay healthier and lower fear of recurrence and metastatic diagnosis.

The sad truth is that breast cancer takes away a lot of control over how we can build for a better quality of life. Diet is one of the very few ways we can feel like we are taking control back. It is therefore a hot topic: many books are written, many blogs and cancer sites are produced to showcase the potential for so many different diets: low or high in, sugar, fat, protein, and greens, to pave their way through our lives.

The story however isn’t that simple. Many of us talked about how ‘fit’ and ‘healthy’ they were PRIOR to dx. Some were vegan, some never drank alcohol, some were super fit climbing mountains, running marathons, and there were others who believed they did eat and drink in ‘moderation’.

It is puzzling therefore to try and sketch a direct relationship between diet and breast cancer. This in itself has caused many of us much distress as well as confusion over what we should or should not include in our diet post diagnosis. Thoughts of ‘could’ve, ‘should’ve’, run through our heads and sometimes the stress of feeling that we are not including the ‘right’ thing, or not eating enough ‘broccoli’ is too much to bear.

Many of us reported how feelings of guilt weigh heavy, that it was somehow our fault. Now, if we do have a slice of cake, or chocolate, we are eating too much sugar. If we do have a glass of wine we feel guilty; if we have red meat we can feel guilty, if we aren’t eating enough greens… and the list continues. Feelings of guilt and self-blame are key risk factors for depression, which many of us suffer from. It gets worse of course when others question us on whether we are keeping an eye over what we eat and drink.

Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease, and one of the most complex cancers. Whilst many risk factors are identified, no cause and effect has been established. There are many genetic factors that interact with environmental influences that may or may not involve diet. A ‘healthy’ diet we agreed involves eating and drinking in moderation. A healthy diet yes is key for building psychological and physical well-being. It is not healthy however to stress over what we eat and drink.

Diet is about self-compassion too, nourishing ourselves and yes, if we want to, have some delicious chocolate.

If you are a woman with a breast cancer diagnosis in the UK and wish to join our private support group send us a message here and we will get back to you.

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Weekly Discussion Summary ~ Diet and Breast Cancer

The subject of our weekly discussion was 'Diet and Breast Cancer.'

Diet can be contentious issue and there are diverse and varying views on the role of diet, both in the prevention, and treatment of cancer.

We considered the reasons why diet is such a popular topic in discussion, not only in relation to breast cancer, but 'cancer' as a whole:

Naz suggested that firstly, we can control what we eat and this is very important because cancer and its treatment completely undermines our sense of control over our bodies and lives, in particular the little control we have over breast cancer occurrence and recurrence. Yet, we can choose what foods to eat and what to avoid and this allows us to exert a sense of control, empowering us at a time when we feel extremely vulnerable. 

Secondly, our diet interacts with our physical and psychological well-being, influences hormones, cognitive function, and most of our organs, including the brain. So, it is perfectly reasonable to think that diet can have a direct effect on cancer diagnosis and progression. 

However, Naz told us it has been very difficult to substantiate a direct and causal influence of diet on cancer diagnosis and/or cure because the way in which diet affects individuals so differently, depending on our genetic make-up and environment. At a molecular level it is easy to substantiate with much certainty the effects of certain foods on physical well-being, but, when it comes to epidemiological research, it is hard to derive conclusive results because of history, natural variation in physical make-up as well as environmental experiences and influences. 

This mixed approach leaves us in a confusing position. Most of us would like to believe that good nutrition will help us, however, there is often a lack of clarity and agreement over what constitutes 'good' nutrition.

There was an extremely wide wide variation in our views as a group - some of us follow a vegan diet, others, a ketogenic diet, others avoided dairy products or foods associated with oestrogen. Individual members reported significant improvements in their health and well-being, including a reduction in tumour size as a result of changes made to diet, even though different diets were followed. Weight gain - and loss - as well as fatigue due to treatment was a consideration, impacting on our confidence and self-esteem and we also talked about our views on alcohol. However, our over-riding concern was how we could support our health and well-being while enjoying a quality of life, given the challenges we face, impacted by our unique experiences and perspectives.

We considered that irrespective of cancer, the 'food industry' is loaded with media claims advertising foods, including both specialised diets and therapies. Naz explained that while there is no substantiated evidence to back up the use of specialized or alternative diets, there are anomalies in traditional medicine, even though this is the predominant and scientifically accepted approach. Naz suggested that the absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence. 

As a group, we were able to respect each other’s diverse views. We considered that given that as we currently do not know the effect of diet on cancer prevention and cure, it seems reasonable that we support one another to have the confidence to act on our own informed views about what each of us considers the best way we can support our physical and psychological well-being.

If you are a woman living in the UK with a breast cancer diagnosis, and you would like to join our private members group, please message us on our public page: https://www.facebook.com/resilienceinbreastcancer/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

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