For this study, breast cancer researchers fed 4-week old mice susceptible to breast cancer either a Western diet (20% fat, 17% protein, 48% carbohydrates) or a standard chow diet (4.5% fat, 23% protein, 50% carbohydrates) for 8 weeks. Breast cancer development and blood cholesterol levels were measured at 8 and 12 weeks of age. The breast cancer researchers reported:
- Mice fed a the high-fat, high-cholesterol Western diet developed more tumors than mice fed the standard chow diet, which was low in fat and had negligible amounts of cholesterol.
- Breast cancer tumors were approximately 1.5 times larger in mice fed the Western style diet compared to mice fed the standard chow diet.
- Mice fed the high-fat, cholesterol-rich diet also showed a tendency for increased lung metastasis.
- Breast cancer tumor development was more advanced and markers of breast cancer tumor aggression were elevated in mice fed the Western diet.
- Blood vessel growth in the tumors (needed for tumor growth) was enhanced in mice fed the Western diet compared to mice fed the standard chow diet.
- Blood cholesterol levels were reduced and apparently taken up and used by the breast cancer tumors for continued development in mice fed the high-fat diet.
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