Dietary Interventions for Breast Cancer Prevention: Exploring the Role of Nutrition in Primary and Tertiary Prevention Strategies

Background: Breast cancer remains the most prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, necessitating effective prevention strategies. The current literature was scrutinized to investigate the impact of dietary factors, such as the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet on reducing the risk of breast cancer. Additionally, the potential role of diet in diminishing the risk of disease recurrence and enhancing outcomes among breast cancer survivors was explored. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE to identify relevant studies published between 2000 and 2024. Inclusion criteria were applied to select studies with robust methodologies, including randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, and prospective cohort studies focusing on adult women. Only studies published in English were considered. Papers on animal studies, editorials, and case series were excluded. Results: Our findings show the critical interplay between diet and breast cancer prevention, crucial for the development of effective strategies to both primary and tertiary prevention. Challenges such as adherence to dietary recommendations, cultural and socioeconomic disparities, and limited high-quality evidence were identified. Conclusions: This review underscores the critical need to integrate nutrition into clinical practice and highlights avenues for future research, including personalized dietary interventions.