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William J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO
William J. Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO
Posted: Monday, February 19, 2024
The plant-derived compounds known as soy isoflavones may lower the risk of breast cancer recurrent or death, according to a meta-analysis co-directed by researchers from John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, as well as investigators from Australia, Denmark, England, and Norway. M. Diana van Die, PhD, of the NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia, and colleagues also discovered a potential link among green tea, cruciferous vegetables, and plant lignans and significant risk reductions in outcomes after breast cancer. The team reported its findings in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.
“Soy isoflavones were associated with a 26% reduced risk of recurrence, particularly among postmenopausal and estrogen receptor–positive survivors, with the greatest risk reduction at 60 mg/d,” the investigators reported. However, coauthor Channing Paller, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, offered these words of caution in an institutional press release: “It is critically important to stress that these studies were conducted on women who received medical and/or surgical treatment for breast cancer, and that these foods and phytonutrients should not be considered as alternatives to treatment.”
Soy products were found to decrease recurrence risk by 52% across two studies, and combined soy proteins and products were associated with a 25% decrease in mortality in estrogen-positive breast cancer. According to the study authors, these findings affirm previous recommendations by the World Cancer Research Fund International that increasing soy consumption in the 12 months after a diagnosis of breast cancer may lead to better outcomes.
The meta-analysis, which included 32 articles across 13 countries, supported a moderate intake (2–3 servings) of soy, which is about 50 to 70 mg of isoflavones daily, as previously suggested as safe by the American Institute of Cancer Research for patients with breast cancer. One serving of soy can be provided by 250 mL of soymilk, 85 to 100 g of tofu, or 85 g of cooked soybeans.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit academic.oup.com.
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