The association between breast cancer and consumption of dairy products: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Among the world, the most frequently discovered and fatal cancer in women is breast cancer (BC). From the perspective of public health, estimating the BC risk linked to dairy intake may aid in comprehensive management. In epidemiological research data on the association between eating dairy foods and the risk of BC are conflicting. Therefore, we sought to assess the link between dairy food consumption and the development of BC. MAIN TEXT: To summarize and quantify the most recent findings on consuming milk or other dairy foods and the development of BC, we performed a systematic literature review. We checked through several databases for relevant publications published in English up to January 2022. Of the 82 articles identified, only 18 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Nine Prospective, seven Retrospective and two Cross-Sectional studies were finally identified. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, dairy consumption was inversely associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. Future studies will help elucidate the role of dairy products in human health, and their use within a balanced diet should be considered. KEY MESSAGES: The effect of different types of dairy products, and possible dose-response relationships on BC risk remains unknown. Estimating BC risk associated with dairy consumption may help to take the decision-making of physicians and public health policy in developing preventive strategies to reduce its occurrence. This systematic review was conducted to assess dairy consumption and BC risk. Overall, inverse associations were found when looking at dairy consumption and BC risk.