Fast-food consumption by adolescent girls may sow the seeds of breast cancer decades later

An hypothesis of breast cancer development:

•Breast development occurs largely during the years of puberty in adolescent girls

•Environmental assaults during that vulnerable time window can seed changes that take decades to complete

•Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) are found in high concentrations in processed foods, especially fast-food

•In mice, AGE produce pubertal breast changes in both epithelium and stroma, including atypical hyperplasia

•The stromal changes in humans may be manifest as increased breast density as measured by mammography

•These data provide a link between processed, fast-food, high breast density, and future breast cancer

•Breast cancer prevention may include the avoidance of fast-food, especially in adolescent girls undergoing pubertal breast development