Soy Ingredients Seem To Lower Breast Cancer Risk In Premenopausal Women

Increased consumption of phytoestrogens, a common ingredient in dietary soy, may modify the risk of some types of breast cancer, especially those occurring before menopause, according to U.S. research. Using a food frequency questionnaire, researchers assessed dietary patterns of 683 women with breast cancer and 611 healthy women, measuring isoflavones as a dietary, rather than supplemental, intake. Women with the highest isoflavone intake had a 30 percent lower risk of developing a breast tumor, and a 60 percent lower risk of grade 1 tumor. Among premenopausal women, the highest intake of isoflavones had a 30 percent lower risk of stage I disease, a 70 percent lower risk of a tumor larger than 2 cm, and a 60 percent lower risk of stage 2 breast cancer, connections not seen among postmenopausal women.