An international epidemiologic study of breast cancer mortality and total fat intake in postmenopausal women

The trends in total fat intake over 25 years (1961-1985) and breast cancer mortality (1971-1995) in postmenopausal women (ages 45-79 years old) in 23 countries were examined by correlations between 5-year averages for age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) and 5-year averages for amounts of fat available per person per day obtained from food balance sheets. The ASMRs correlated well with the relative risk for death due to breast cancer analyzed using the age-period-cohort model. Among the 23 countries studied, the ASMR increased the most between 1971-1975 and 1990-1995 in Taiwan (79.9%) and the least in Sweden (-13.0%). Between 1961-1965 and 1981-1985, fat intake increased more in Taiwan (99.3%) than in the other countries examined. However, regression of ASMR on fat intake by country indicated that ASMRs due to breast cancer in Taiwan were below the international regression line for all periods, which suggests that dietary fat played a less important role in mortality due to breast cancer among Taiwanese women compared with women of the other countries studied.