Another Helping of Flaxseed for Breast Cancer?

The idea of using lifestyle changes to manipulate tumor behavior (and, by extension, breast cancer prognosis) is empowering in that it allows patients to play an active role in their own care. However, many strategies involving dietary alterations have yielded conflicting results, leaving patients and clinicians with less than robust data upon which to make decisions. Lignans — plant-derived substances found in flaxseed, sesame seeds, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits — are among the major sources of phytoestrogens in Western diets, and reportedly have anticancer properties. Lignans are metabolized by gut microflora into enterolactone (the principal metabolite). Epidemiologic studies have suggested that diets rich in lignans can lower in…