Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses lifestyle intervention in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.

In recent years, the approach to breast cancer treatment has become more personalized, says Ligibel. It is likely that lifestyle interventions like diet changes will also not be one-size-fits-all approach moving forward. There is work going on to determine how these lifestyle changes impact certain people differently. This can consist of physiological differences, and account for patients who have a higher level of systemic inflammation, or metabolic derangement with different insulin levels.

Ligibel says that her work is trying to identify who may be most likely to benefit from a particular lifestyle change. More work needs to be done to understand these factors. Much of the work that has been done with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise in breast cancer focuses on how they relate to the risk of recurrence. Dietary factors are not as consistent as exercise, which if done regularly, can lower risk of breast cancer recurrence.

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Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses lifestyle intervention in the treatment of patients with breast cancer.
 

Dr. Ligibel Discusses Lifestyle Intervention in Breast Cancer

Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses resources available for patients to educate themselves on avoiding breast cancer recurrence.

There are a number of different organizations that create guidelines on physical activity, nutrition, and body weight management for cancer survivors, Ligibel says. For the last 10 years, the American Cancer Society has provided information on what patients should be eating and how much exercise they should get after a diagnosis. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has also provided nutrition-based insight in its survivorship guidelines. Thirdly, ASCO has created an initiative on obesity, which is geared toward helping patients understand these connections exist. Studies have shown, Ligibel adds, that while most people are aware of tobacco/alcohol connections to cancer risk, most don’t know that obesity could have an impact.

Ligibel adds that this is important because many patients are unaware of the safe types of physical activity after undergoing months of treatment.

Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses the resources available for patients to educate themselves on avoiding breast cancer recurrence.

Dr. Ligibel on Patient Education to Avoid Breast Cancer Recurrence

Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the impact of diet and exercise on the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Many studies show that women who are heavier after menopause have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. There are also data that suggest that women who exercise more have a lower risk of developing breast cancer. The dietary factors are less consistent, Ligibel says. There is a clear increased risk of breast cancer for women who consume high levels of alcohol, but there are no links in specific foods or dietary patterns and the development of breast cancer.

Most of the evidence evaluating the factors of diet and exercise in breast cancer focus on how they relate to the risk of recurrence. There is a lot of evidence that these factors continue to influence outcome after a patient has developed an early-stage, potentially curable breast cancer. Studies show that women who are obese when they are diagnosed with breast cancer have a 30% to 40% higher risk of dying from breast cancer, Ligibel says. Emerging data have suggested that physical activity may be protective after diagnosis, as women who regularly exercised had a lower risk of recurrence.

Jennifer Ligibel, MD, senior physician, Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the impact of diet and exercise on the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
 

Jennifer Ligibel, MD

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Dr. Ligibel Discusses Lifestyle Intervention in Breast Cancer

Dr. Ligibel on Patient Education to Avoid Breast Cancer Recurrence

Dr. Ligibel on the Impact of Diet and Exercise on Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk