In Massachusetts, research led by Tufts University found that post-diagnosis consumption of foods rich in isoflavones, like soy, is associated with a reduced mortality risk in women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer and women not treated with endocrine therapy.
By analyzing data on 6,235 American and Canadian breast cancer patients from the Breast Cancer Family Registry, the team found a 21 percent decrease in all-cause mortality among women in the highest quartile of intake, when compared to those in the lowest quartile.
Lead author Fang Fang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts said, “At the population level, we see an association between isoflavone consumption and reduced risk of death in certain groups of women with breast cancer. Our results suggest, in specific circumstances, there may be a potential benefit to eating more soy foods as part of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle.”