Early life diet and the risk for adult breast cancer

A hypothesis postulating intrauterine and early life influences on the occurrence of breast cancer in adult life has received considerable support in the literature. We present alternative or complementary ways through which diet could affect breast cancer risk in this context. Emphasis is placed on evidence that reduced energy intake in early life is associated with smaller body size, which, in turn, constrains birth weight and subsequent development of offspring and is associated with reduced breast cancer risk.