Myths & Misconceptions: Diet, Nutrition & Advanced Breast Cancer

By Julie Lanford, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN

2 min read

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding diet, nutrition, and breast cancer. Julie shares her thoughts on some of the most common ones.

Myth: Sugar feeds cancer.

Fact: All cells in the body require glucose for fuel, including cancer cells.

Use a common-sense approach. Healthy cells need energy, especially during treatment. Avoiding sugar completely will not help treatment, but it could leave your healthy cells low on energy. There is room for you to enjoy your favorite dessert from time to time. Find a balance. Sugar does not need to be an all-or-nothing thing. Healthy eating should promote overall well-being. Here is the link to a supplemental reference document on this topic.¹

Myth: Breast cancer survivors can’t eat soy or should avoid soy.

Fact: Eating soy, in moderate amounts, does not increase the risk of recurrence or death. Human evidence has shown that soy is not harmful, and may benefit breast cancer patients. A common-sense approach to consuming soy as a breast cancer survivor is to eat the food versions of soy (edamame, tofu, soymilk, tempeh) and avoid the ultra-processed versions of soy (soy powders or supplements).

Myth: Eat organic foods, not conventionally grown food.

Fact: There is no data showing people eating only organic have better health outcomes. Organic farming still uses pesticides. It’s also important to know that pesticide residue on conventionally grown produce is extremely low and is tightly regulated by the EPA. The bottom line is people need to eat fruits and vegetables. This is where we see benefits.

Myth: Meat and dairy can cause cancer.

Fact: There is no evidence that vegetarian or vegan diets are more healthy or protective than plant-based diets that include small amounts of animal foods. A common-sense guideline on the ratio of plants to animal foods is 75 percent of your plate is covered in plants (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans) and 25 percent or less with animal foods (meat, cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs). It’s your choice as to whether you want to get your protein from plants only or to utilize animal sources of foods to meet protein needs. The bottom line is that people need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Consuming plant proteins can help increase production intake.

Myth: Superfoods prevent cancer.

Fact: There is no such thing as a superfood. It’s a marketing tactic.

It is an oversimplification to say that one food could have that much impact on your overall well-being or chance of developing cancer. Your overall pattern of eating is more important than one single food that you do or do not eat. Rather than hyper-focusing on a list of individual foods, think about your overall diet in terms of food groups and plant sources of nutrients. If you’re eating mostly plants that aren’t ultra-processed, then you are likely getting a variety of nutrients that support your body.

What are some common things you have heard about diet and breast cancer? Share in the comments below!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The AdvancedBreastCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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CommunityMember2 Member
I know this is not a grief support group, but this article triggered me in a way that I can't ignore. Cheryl, my late wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 MBC in June 2016. The news hit me like a truck because I had experienced the very same thing 21 years earlier with my first wife. After her diagnosis, Cheryl made an appointment with an oncologist, whose recommendation was a combination of the three major therapies: radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. Cheryl asked if there were other options, and the oncologist said no. We discussed this on the way home that day. I had lost a wife (and, later, her oldest sister) who had endured a mastectomy/reconstruction surgery and two rounds each of chemotherapy and radiation, only to die 34 months after the initial diagnosis. Both of Cheryl's parents had died 15 days apart (prostate and ovarian) after undergoing surgeries, chemo, and radiation. Needless to say, we were both concerned about the effectiveness of this treatment regimen. Cheryl chose to pursue naturopathic treatments, which very nearly bankrupted us because none of the treatments were covered by her health insurance. She did this for 20 months and was finally persuaded by her naturopathic physician to seek remedies that insurance would cover. By this time, we were told by her new oncologist, the options for treatment were limited but he was willing to try them if she was amenable. She agreed and began chemotherapy. She survived another 19 months before cancer took her from me. One of the things I remember most was her concern over sugar and how cancer "fed" on it. I so badly wanted to be supportive, even though I was filled with doubts and apprehension about her choice of treatments. She jumped on every theory that she could find on the Internet. She eventually became a victim of her own theories. Please find a national news source that will publish this information. More people need to understand that just because something is on the internet doesn't mean it's worthwhile.
1. Patty Day Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMember2" user-id="4603231"/> Thank you for being here and sharing your story. You've been through so much and suffered such loss over the years - our hearts go out to you. I can't imagine the fear and worry that you and Cheryl experienced when she was diagnosed and then had to make the difficult decisions as to what forms of treatment to move forward with. While we're not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice to anyone, many of our community members have shared that naturopathic treatments can indeed be helpful, but generally as a complement to other therapies. The internet can be a beautiful and scary thing; unfortunately, there is something there for everyone if you want to believe it. We'll continue to work with our community members and the contributors to this site to ensure that we are sharing helpful information, dispelling myths when we can, and hope that we can shine some light on this confusing world of living with cancer. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. Everyone's story makes a difference, and I know yours will impact others. We're always here to support you; please stay in touch. Warmly, Patty (Team Member)