Effects of switching from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet on tumor proliferation and cell kinetics of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced mammary carcinoma in rats.

We investigated the stimulatory effect of a high-fat diet on tumorigenesis, tumor proliferation and cell kinetics of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced mammary carcinomas in Sprague-Dawley rats, and sought to determine whether switching the animals from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet would suppress tumor proliferation and cell kinetics. The high-fat diet significantly stimulated tumorigenesis, tumor proliferation and cell kinetics. After the animals were switched from the high-fat diet to the low-fat diet, however, tumor growth decreased, the BrdUrd labeling indices of tumors significantly decreased, and the potential doubling times of tumors significantly increased. Therefore, switching from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet may improve the prognosis of breast cancer.