Objective: To evaluate the diet as a risk factor of breast cancer among the breast cancer patients in comparison with gender matched healthy controls.

Study design: retrospective case control study

Place and Duration: Physiology department, University of Sindh, Jamshoro from 14 october 2021 to 14 May 2022

Methodology:Total 200 breast cancer patients were approached at NIMRA, Jamshoro and they were interviewed about their diet taking routinely from past 5- years. For comparison, 200 age and gender matched, apparently healthy controls recruited and interviewed, similarly about their dietary patterns in past 05-years. Patients of other carcinomas and male gender were not included in this study. Vegetarians were categorized on the basis of never consumed any chicken, egg, meat or fish. Similarly non-vegetarians were categorized on the basis of eating meat, fish, chicken and eggs. The data analyzed on SPSS version 23.0.

Results: Mean age of the breast cancer patients was49.76±6.7 years. Mean of the age, age of menarche, total years of breast feeding and parity were compared in breast cancer and healthy controls by applying independent t-test . It revealed significant difference of the age of menarche and total years of breast feeding in two groups but no significant difference found about age and parity. In breast cancer patients, 44.25% were non-vegetarian. In control group 19.50% were vegetarian but in breast cancer patient only 5.75% found vegetarian.Odds of breast cancer were 4.92 times more in non-vegetarian patients and the frequently used non-vegetarian food was chicken in breast cancer patients. Among 122 controls taking non-vegetarian diet, most frequently consumed food was fish (55.74%).

Conclusion: It is concluded that non-vegetarian diet, specifically farmed chicken can be considered as the risk factor for breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer, vegetarian diet, non vegetrerian diet