Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30696460›Full record

SynthesisBreast cancer research : BCR2019

Associations between dietary patterns and the risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Yunjun Xiao, Junjie Xia, Liping Li, Yuebin Ke, Jinquan Cheng, Yaojie Xie, Winnie Chu, Polly Cheung, Jean Hee Kim, Graham A Colditz and 2 more

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
85citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

85 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Diets, Dietary Patterns, Single Foods and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
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  7. Smartphone-Based Cancer and Obesity Prevention Education Program for Chinese Women (SCOPE): A Pilot RCT.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. LifelongNutrients · 2026
    Article
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  18. Epidemiology, early detection, and management of breast cancer in China: A comprehensive review.Chinese journal of cancer research = Chung-kuo yen cheng yen chiu · 2025
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yunjun XiaoDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Junjie XiaDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Liping LiMPH Education Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Yuebin KeDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Jinquan ChengDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Yaojie XieSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Winnie ChuDepartment of Imaging & Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Polly CheungHong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation, Hong Kong, China.
Jean Hee KimSchool of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Graham A ColditzAlvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Rulla M TamimiChanning Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. rulla.tamimi@channing.harvard.edu.
Xuefen SuMPH Education Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China. suxf@stu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpidemiologic evidence suggests that certain dietary patterns were associated with breast cancer risk, but the results have been inconclusive. We assessed the associations between different dietary patterns and the risk of breast cancer by conducting a meta-analysis of observational studies.

methodsRelevant articles were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases through September 2017. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing the highest and lowest categories of Western and prudent dietary patterns were combined by using the random-effects meta-analyses.

resultsWe identified 32 eligible articles including 14 cohort and 18 case-control studies (34 Western and 35 prudent studies). The pooled analyses found that a Western dietary pattern was associated with a 14% increased risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02, 1.28), whereas a prudent dietary pattern was associated with an 18% reduced risk of breast cancer (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75, 0.89). In addition, sub-group analyses showed that the positive association between a Western dietary pattern and breast cancer risk was significant among postmenopausal (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06, 1.35), but not premenopausal women (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.99, 1.40), and significant for hormone receptor-positive tumors (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04, 1.33), but not receptor-negative tumors (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.83, 1.12). In contrast, the inverse association between a prudent dietary pattern and breast cancer was significant in premenopausal (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61, 0.98), but not postmenopausal women (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.74, 1.03), and significant for both hormone receptor-positive and receptor-negative tumors.

conclusionsThe results of the current meta-analysis suggest a possible increased risk of breast cancer associated with a Western dietary pattern and a reduced risk with a prudent dietary pattern. Large-scale cohort studies with a high quality need to be conducted to further confirm the findings of the current meta-analysis. As dietary patterns are modifiable, these findings may provide viable strategies for breast cancer prevention through changes in dietary intake.

Indexed as

Diet, HealthyBreast NeoplasmsDiet, WesternFeeding BehaviorFemaleHumansNutrition AssessmentObservational Studies as TopicRisk FactorsBreast cancerDietary patternsMeta-analysisObservational studies

Identifiers

PMID30696460
PMCPMC6352362

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.