Should cancer survivors include soy-based foods in the diet?
Soy-derived foods are an excellent source of protein and can be a good alternative to meat. Soy contains several phytochemicals, some of which have weak estrogen activity and seem to protect against hormone-dependent cancers in animal studies. Other compounds in soy have antioxidant or other helpful properties. There is a great deal of interest in the possible role of soy foods in reducing cancer risk in general and breast cancer in particular. But the evidence for such a role is mixed. For the breast cancer survivor, current research suggests neither specific benefits nor harmful effects when soy is eaten in the moderate amounts found in most Asian diets (no more than 3 servings per day) as part of a healthy diet. But higher doses of soy may have estrogen-like effects, and higher levels of estrogens clearly increase the risk for progression of some breast cancers. For this reason, it is best for breast cancer survivors to avoid the high doses that are found in more concentrated source
