Consumption of vegetables and fruits and breast cancer survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association between consumption of vegetables and fruits and breast cancer survival. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and EMBASE was performed from the inception to September 30, 2016. The summary hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a random effects model. Ten studies, with a total of 31,210 breast cancer cases, were included in the meta-analysis. The summary HRs (95% CIs) of overall survival (highest vs. lowest) were 1.08 (0.88–1.33; I(2) = 41.1%) for pre-diagnostic intake of vegetables and fruits combined, 0.96 (0.71–1.30; I(2) = 48.4%) for vegetables alone, and 0.83 (0.67–1.02; I(2) = 0) for fruit alone. No significant risk associations of overall survival were found for post-diagnostic intake of vegetables and fruits. Line dose-response analyses indicated the likely results for both pre- and post- diagnostic dietary intake. No significant association was found between intake of vegetables and fruits and breast cancer-specific mortality. In addition, intake of cruciferous vegetables was not associated with death from breast cancer. Our findings indicated a borderline inverse association between pre-diagnostic intake of fruit and overall survival of breast cancer, whereas intake of vegetables was not associated with survival.