Nutritional Training Increases Long-term Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Women with Early Breast Cancer – A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

After primary treatment of early breast cancer many women want to change their dietary habits and this may influence disease recurrence. The aim of the study was to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) intake for at least 6 months in women with early breast cancer by a short modular nutritional training program and offering refresher sessions. Design: Single-centre randomized controlled study in women attending an in-hospital cancer rehabilitation program. Subjects in the intervention group (INT) participated in a 2-week structured nutritional training program and were invited to visit brief refresher courses after 3 and 6 months. Women in the control group (CON) were offered standard nutritional advice. All subjects completed 4-day food records before arrival (baseline), and 1, 3 and 6 months after the start of the study. Of 152 women included in the study complete follow-up was available for 118. Consumption of FV (mean+/-SD) was similar at baseline (INT 483+/-235, CON 460+/-177 g/d) but only increased in the intervention group and at all follow-up times (1 month: 743+/-287 vs. 526+/-177; 3 months: 673+/-246 vs. 485+/-169; 6 months: 631+/-222 vs. 505+/-172 g/d; p<0.001). There was no discernible effect of the refresher courses on FV intake. There was no relevant effect of intervention on energy and fat intake. A short modular nutritional training program increases FV intake in breast cancer survivors for at least 6 months. This program can be easily implemented and may be combined with other training programs to comprehensively modulate lifestyle.