ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk among women in northern Tanzania: a case–control study

Background Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tan-zania. It was tested within a case–control study in this region whether a specific dietary pattern impacts on the breast cancer risk. Methods A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake of 115 female breast cancer patients and 230 healthy age-matched women living in the same districts. A logistic regression was performed to estimate breast cancer risk. Dietary patterns were obtained using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation. Results The adjusted logistic regression estimated an increased risk for a ‘‘Fatty Diet’’, characterized by a higher consumption of milk, vegetable oils and fats, butter, lard and red meat (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.08–1.87; P = 0.01), and for a ‘‘Fruity Diet’’, characterized by a higher con-sumption of fish, mango, papaya, avocado and watery fruits (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI 1.14–2.28; P = 0.01). Both diets showed an inverse association with the ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (P/S ratio). Conclusion A diet characterized by a low P/S ratio seems to be more important for the development of breast cancer than total fat intake