Cancer News Roundup

I've been a vegetarian since I was 14 or 15, and I've lived in Japan for a total of seven years, so tofu and other soy products have been a part of my diet for decades. 

Then, after I was diagnosed with an estrogen-positive breast cancer, I received conflicting advice from my doctors on whether or not I should continue to eat soy, or perhaps use soy supplements. The reason this was a question at all is that soy contains plant estrogens. 

My GP recommended taking big doses of soy to help with the hot flashes that were a part of my chemo-induced menopause (I was in my mid-40s at the time); my medical oncologist recommended avoiding soy foods, but they were a big part of my protein intake. 

My naturopath had the last word. He said, and remember this was 10 years ago, that we don't know enough about plant estrogens and estrogen-positive breast cancer. So he recommended eating only moderate amounts of soy foods (which I have defined as one or two servings a week) and avoiding soy supplements. 

Now comes new research, published in JAMA, that found that breast cancer survivors in China who ate a lot of soy were less likely to have a recurrence and less likely to die of breast cancer. And the women who ate the most soy did best. 

I don't think any of us should conclude that this study is the last word on soy and breast cancer. But soy products are very good nutritional choices--high in complete proteins and low in fat. Some tofu has calcium as well, depending on how it is made. 

For me, I will continue to eat tofu, miso, and soybeans, but I won't increase my intake beyond what it has been for years. Moderation is still key. 

Read the story: Tofu, Soy Diet Linked to Lower Death in Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast Cancer, Isolation, and Stress

In other cancer news, a study done with rats found that stress and social isolation result in much higher rates of breast cancer. Rates 3.3 times higher, according to the researchers. 

There is one big flaw with this study, however--How did the researchers measure stress and social isolation? Were these self-reported? If so, the study is flawed from the get-go, never mind that they used rats ... The article I saw didn't say how the researchers at the University of Chicago measured these factors. 

For myself, I have always wondered about stress and cancer, because the year before my cancer was diagnosed was one of the most stressful in my entire working life up to that point. After my diagnosis, I worked hard to keep stress and anxiety under control, but there were days, weeks, and months when they were off the charts. 

Read more: Isolation, Stress May Contribute to Breast Cancer Risk

Mammograms and Young, High-Risk Women

Just to stir the "what age should I get my first mammogram?" pot even further, comes a story on Medscape that concludes that young women who are at high risk for breast cancer (and have the BCRA1 or BCRA2 genes or a family history of breast cancer) increase their risk of developing cancer significantly if they have frequent mammograms.

MRI could be an alternative, if you can get insurance to pay for it. (Good luck with that.)

As always, discuss your personal situation with a doctor or doctors you trust. 

Read: Mammograms and Young, High-Risk Women  

 

@ Jeanne Sather 2009. 

Comments

[Jane]

Might be wise to stick with fermented soy products -- tempeh, miso. Others? Not sure.

[MaryM]

I agree that you can't assume anything from this latest soy news.

A balanced diet seems like the best idea.

Thud - the sound of me putting an $8 box of clementine oranges into my cart. How's that for a rationalization?

[brca mutation,brca1 testing]

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women around the globe. It comes as no surprise, that, everybody seems to know at least one woman who has breast cancer or has been challenged by it in the past. It has been estimated about 1 out of every 7 women in North America will be affected by this deadly disease in a 90-year life span. Have it ever occurred to you that for simply being a woman and getting older, you too, can be affected by the disease during your lifetime? However, it is possible to reduce the chances of developing breast cancer by knowing about what puts you at breast cancer risk. For this reason, it is important to know what factors can increase or decrease breast cancer risk and how much those factors change your risk.

[Paige]

I've been very conflicted about the soy issue since being diagnosed with ER+/PR+ locally advanced breast cancer in 2007. On the advice of my oncologist I've taken the moderation route of 1-2 servings of whole soy foods per week, avoiding processed or concentrated forms of soy. The JAMA study you reference is reassuring. Thank you for posting about this issue. I think a lot of women, at least those of us who prefer whole foods or have a family or other connection to Asia worry about whether we are helping or harming ourselves when we consume soy foods. I will enjoy my favorite tempeh recipe all the more tonight- mmmmm!