Dr. West on Relationship Between Diet and Endometrial Cancer

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the relationship between diet and endometrial cancer.

In a study of mouse models, investigators sought to assess the relationship between diet and the development of endometrial cancer. The findings showed that a low-fat diet decreased tumor growth in mice exposed to endometrial cancer cells. This makes sense, says West, as the diet was changed before the tumors had fully developed.

West suggests that investigators should look at the outcome of switching the diet of mice with fully developed endometrial cancer, as many women do not have the motivation to change their diet until they are faced with an endometrial cancer diagnosis. If findings indicate that switching to a low-fat diet can decrease tumor growth in mice who already have endometrial cancer, then this strategy could have an impactful clinical application.