Soy intake and breast cancer risk in Singapore Chinese Health Study
2008

Soy Intake and Breast Cancer Risk in Singapore Chinese Health Study

Sample size: 35303 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Wu A H, Koh W-P, Wang R, Lee H-P, Yu M C

Primary Institution: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Hypothesis

Does high soy isoflavone intake reduce breast cancer risk in Singapore Chinese women?

Conclusion

High soy intake is associated with an 18% reduction in breast cancer risk, particularly in postmenopausal women.

Supporting Evidence

  • Women with higher soy intake showed a significant 18% risk reduction for breast cancer.
  • The protective effect was stronger in postmenopausal women with higher body mass index.
  • Soy intake was not significantly associated with breast cancer risk in premenopausal women.

Takeaway

Eating more soy might help lower the chances of getting breast cancer, especially for older women.

Methodology

The study used a food frequency questionnaire to assess soy intake and followed participants for breast cancer diagnosis over several years.

Potential Biases

Recall bias is minimized as dietary information was collected before cancer diagnosis.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on postmenopausal women, limiting insights into premenopausal women.

Participant Demographics

Participants were Singapore Chinese women aged 45-74, primarily of Hokkien or Cantonese dialect groups.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.019

Confidence Interval

0.70–0.97

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604448

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