Fighting breast cancer

As a health care professional, I commend the courageous women -- including Hollywood star Giuliana Rancic and Red Cross president Gail McGovern -- who have shared details about their battle with breast cancer. It can be a devastating disease. The American Cancer Society reports it will affect one in eight women at some point in our lives. The good news: We can fight back.

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a cancer-fighting diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. A new study in Annals of Oncology finds women who consume at least one cruciferous vegetable each week reduce their breast cancer risk by 17 percent.

Vegetarian diets play an important role in cancer prevention. They also help fight obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This October, let's show support for all the women in our lives -- mothers, daughters, aunts and sisters -- by filling up on healthful plant-based foods.

SUSAN LEVIN, director of nutrition education,

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,

Washington, D.C.