The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, one of the largest private funding sources for breast cancer research in the U.S., has awarded its Brinker Prize to Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos, for his research on the factors contributing to the development of breast cancer.

Trichopoulos, a professor at the University of Athens Medical School, tries to identify the factors that are common to cancer victims in their history and way of life. Also professor of cancer prevention and epidemiology at Harvard University, he is a strong proponent of the idea that lifestyle, and especially diet, are significant factors in cancer development. He has put forward the hypothesis that steroid hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancer have their origin during initial development, i.e. while the individual is still in the womb. Intriguing evidence for this hypothesis comes from the observation that it takes more than two generations for the rates of breast and prostate cancer in Asian immigrants to the US to reach the levels of native American population, which are four times higher than in most Asian countries.

Furthermore, Trichopoulos believes in the importance of the traditional Mediterranean diet, consisting mostly of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes and fish, in reducing the risks of cancer and other health problems.

Q and A

How healthy is pizza, that staple of the modern diet?
Pizza was not considered to be a particularly healthy food, but recent evidence indicates that its content of the carotenoid lycopene, derived from tomatoes, may provide protection against breast cancer.

How high are cancer rates in Greece compared to other countries?
With the exception of stomach and liver cancer, which are common in Greece, breast and most other cancers generally have a lower incidence in our country in comparison to other Western countries.

Would you briefly explain your hypothesis regarding the relationship between womb environment and breast cancer development?
Embryos are highly susceptible to growth factors in the womb, and growth factors play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Because the embryo grows very quickly, the activity of growth factors is also elevated during intrauterine life.

What are the factors that increase the risk for breast cancer?
The most important factors increasing breast cancer risk are: never having been pregnant, giving birth for the first time after the age of 35, having an early menarche, having a late menopause, drinking too much, consuming little olive oil, vegetables and fruits, and being obese during post-menopausal life.