Isoflavones to the rescue!

More research was revealed this month which shows that phytoestrogens, like isoflavones found in soy, may modify the risk of some types of breast cancer when introduced into the diet in volume. These findings were presented at the Ninth Annual AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference November 7-10.

“This study was unique in that we looked at specific subtypes of breast cancer, and found a suggestion that menopausal status may play a role in risk,” said Anne Weaver, a graduate student at the University at Buffalo and research apprentice at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

683 women with breast cancer participated in the study. They compared these women with 611 healthy women. The women were asked to fill out questionnaires regarding their diet. Isoflavones were treated as part of the diet, not a supplement. Women with the highest intake of isoflavones, like those found most commonly in soy products, had a 30% decreased risk of having breast cancer, and a 60% decreased risk of a grade 1 tumor.

When menopausal factors were considered, premenopausal women the highest intake of isflavones came out with the most positive results. They had a 30% decreased risk of stage 1 disease, a 70% decreased risk of having a tumor larger than 2cm, and a 60% decreased risk of having stage 2 breast cancer.

It’s a preliminary study with a small group. “Still, we definitely saw a reduction that deserves further investigation,” she said.

Source: American Association for Cancer Research, MedicalNewsToday