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High folate intake is associated with lower breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden (UE, ES, BG, and EW), and the Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden (HO)

Background: Epidemiologic studies of associations between folate intake and breast cancer are inconclusive, but folate and other plant food nutrients appear protective in women at elevated risk.

Objective: The objective was to examine the association between folate intake and the incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Design: This prospective study included all women aged 50 y (n = 11699) from the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. The mean follow-up time was 9.5 y. We used a modified diet-history method to collect nutrient intake data. At the end of follow-up, 392 incident invasive breast cancer cases were verified. We used proportional hazard regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs).

Results: Compared with the lowest quintile, the incidence of invasive breast cancer was reduced in the highest quintile of dietary folate intake (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.90; P for trend = 0.02); total folate intake, including supplements (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.91; P for trend = 0.006); and dietary folate equivalents (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.97; P for trend = 0.01).

Conclusion: A high folate intake was associated with a lower incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer in this cohort.

Key Words: Folate • breast cancer • obesity • body mass index • postmenopausal women • prospective study • diet

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Folate and cancer prevention: a closer look at a complex picture

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