Weekly Health Update:
Soy Foods & Stomach Cancer Risk
“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers…”
By, Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
Updated:  05/09/2010
The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health.
Welcome to Weekly Health Update
“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readersâ€Â
SOY FOODS & STOMACH CANCER RISK
There is a great deal of interest regarding the potential effects of soy-based foods (like tofu and soy beverages) on cancer risk. As discussed in my forthcoming book (“A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Raceâ€Â), there is a growing body of laboratory and human research data suggesting that dietary soy isoflavones might be able to reduce the risk of prostate and breast cancer.
Now, a newly published clinical research study from Korea suggests that high levels of soy isoflavones in the blood may also be linked to a reduced risk of stomach cancer, as well. (Korea has one of the highest incidences of stomach cancer in the world.) This study appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
As most of the published research in the area of cancer prevention is based upon the subjective recall of patient volunteers regarding their diet (and other habits), the authors of this study chose, instead, to directly measure the levels of soy isoflavones in the blood of patient volunteers.  This study included 131 patients with recently diagnosed stomach cancer, and 393 “control†patients who did not have stomach (gastric) cancer. Blood levels of the two major dietary soy isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) were directly measured in all 524 of these research volunteers, and these results were compared between the patients with stomach cancer and the “control†patients without gastric cancer.
Study volunteers with the highest levels of genistein in their blood, when compared with those with the lowest levels, were found to be 46 percent less likely to be diagnosed with stomach cancer. Even more impressive was the finding that study volunteers with the highest daidzein blood levels were 79 percent less likely to be diagnosed with stomach cancer when compared to the volunteers with the lowest levels of daidzen in their blood
While there may be other health-related factors at work among the study volunteers with high levels of soy isoflavones in their blood that could explain the much lower stomach cancer risk observed in these same patients, this study’s results are nonetheless intriguing enough to justify a large scale, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled soy isoflavone clinical research study to confirm the findings of this relatively small Korean public health study.
To learn more about the role of soy isoflavones as potential cancer prevention nutrients, look for the publication of my new landmark evidence-based book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,†in the summer of this year.
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the nearly 120,000 new and returning readers who visited our premier global health information website last month. As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author
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Copyright 2007 – 2010
Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
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Dr. Wascher’s Archives:
5-2-2010:   Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer & Memory Loss
4-25-2010:   Smoking, Teenagers & Tobacco Company Advertising
4-18-2010:   Coffee Improves HDL Cholesterol Levels
4-11-2010:  Cruciferous Vegetables, Soy & Breast Cancer Risk
4-4-2010:    Avodart (Dutasteride) & Prostate Cancer Prevention
3-28-2010:  Aspirin & Breast Cancer Survival
3-21-2010:  Obesity, Alcohol & Liver Disease
3-14-2010:  Nuts, Diet & Obesity
3-7-2010:    Walnuts, Cholesterol, LDL & Triglycerides
2-28-2010:  Soy Isoflavones & Recurrent Prostate Cancer
2-21-2010:  Testosterone Supplements in Frail Elderly Men
2-14-2010:  Pancreatic Cancer Risk, Sodas & Juice
2-7-2010:    Vitamin D, Cardiovascular Disease & Death
1-31-2010:  Concord Grape Juice Improves Memory
1-24-2010:  Mozart, Music, Babies & Health
1-17-2010:  Breast Cancer, Physical Therapy & Lymphedema
1-10-2010:  Prevention of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) after Surgery
1-3-2010:    Ginkgo Biloba, Memory & Cognitive Health
12-20-2009: CT Scans & Cancer Risk
12-13-2009: Soy Isoflavones Decrease Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk
12-6-2009:  Salt (Sodium) Intake, Stroke & Cardiovascular Disease
11-29-2009: Exercise & Prostate Cancer Risk
11-22-2009: Genistein (Soy Isoflavone) & Prostate Cancer
11-15-2009: Breast Cancer Treatment & Chronic Pain
1-8-2009:    Vitamin D & Breast Cancer Risk
11-1-2009:  Exercise & Prostate Cancer Risk
10-25-2009:  HPV Virus & Risk of Breast Cancer
10-11-2009: Vitamin D & Falls in the Elderly
10-4-2009:   Surgery, NSQIP, Complications & Death
9-27-2009   Stress, Heart Disease, Exercise & Death
9-20-2009:   Vitamin D & Colorectal Cancer Survival
9-13-2009:   H1N1 Swine Flu Update
9-7-2009:     Green Tea, Aging & Lifespan
8-30-2009:   Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diet & Fiber
8-23-2009:  Update on Prostate Cancer and Cryotherapy
8-16-2009:   Exercise Improves Lymphedema Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors
8-9-2009:   Breast Cancer Recurrence, Death & Vitamin D
8-2-2009:   Honesty, Dishonesty & Brain Function
7-26-2009:   Coronary Artery CT Scans & Cancer Risk
7-19-2009:   Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & Ovarian Cancer
7-12-2009:   Breast Cancer & Metformin (Glucophage)
7-5-2009:    Prostate Cancer & Green Tea
6-28-2009:   Air Pollution & the Risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
6-21-2009:   Red Yeast Rice, Statins & Cholesterol
6-14-2009:   Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant & Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
6-7-2009:    Diet, Soy & Breast Cancer Risk
5-31-2009:   Diet and Prostate Cancer Risk
5-24-2009:   Diabetes, Glucose Control & Death
5-17-2009:   Drug Company Marketing & Physician Prescribing Bias
5-10-2009:   Hemorrhoids & Surgery
5-3-2009:     Statin Drugs & Blood Clots (Thromboembolism)
4-26-2009:   Are We Really Losing the War on Cancer?
4-19-2009:    Exercise in Middle Age & Risk of Death
4-12-2009:   Can Chronic Stress Harm Your Heart?
4-5-2009:     Does PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer Save Lives?
3-22-2009:   CABG Surgery vs. PCI in Diabetics with Coronary Artery Disease; Sweetened Beverages and Coronary Artery Disease
3-15-2009:   Depression, Stress, Anger & Heart Disease
3-8-2009:    Coronary Artery Disease: CABG vs. Stents?; Swimming Lessons & Drowning Risk in Children
3-1-2009:    Aspirin & Colorectal Cancer Prevention; Fish Oil & Respiratory Infections in Children
2-8-2009:   Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & Breast Cancer; Stool DNA Testing & Cancer of the Colon & Rectum
2-1-2009:  Obesity and the Complications of Diverticulosis (Diverticulitis & Bleeding); Obesity, Weight Loss & Urinary Incontinence
1-25-2009: Prostate Cancer, Fatigue & Exercise; Does your Surgeon “Warm-up†Before Surgery?
1-4-2009:   Secondhand Smoke & Heart Attack Risk; Poor Physical Fitness During Childhood & Heart Disease Risk During Adulthood
12-28-2008: Stress & Your Risk of Heart Attack; Vitamin D & the Prevention of Colon & Rectal Polyps
12-21-2008: Breast Cancer Incidence & Hormone Replacement Therapy; Circumcision & the Risk of HPV & HIV Infection
12-14-2008: Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Selenium Do Not Prevent Cancer; Postscript: A Possible Cure for Down’s Syndrome
12-7-2008:   Generic vs. Brand-Name Drugs, Stress & Breast Cancer Survival
11-30-2008: A Possible Cure for Down’s Syndrome?; Smoking & Cognitive Decline; Calcium & Vitamin D & Breast Cancer Risk
11-23-2008:  Breast Cancer & Fish Oil; Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Treatment; Vasectomy & Prostate Cancer Risk
11-9-2008:    Statins Cut Heart Attack Risk Even with Normal Cholesterol Levels; Statins & PSA Level
11-2-2008:    Radiation Treatment of Prostate Cancer & Second Cancers; Sexual Content on TV & Teen Pregnancy Risk
10-26-2008:  Smoking & Quality of Life
10-19-2008:  Agent Orange & Prostate Cancer
10-12-2008:  Pomegranate Juice & Prostate Cancer
10-5-2008:   Central Obesity & Dementia; Diet, Vitamin D, Calcium, & Colon Cancer
9-28-2008:   Publication & Citation Bias in Favor of Industry-Funded Research?
9-21-2008:   Does Tylenol® (Acetaminophen) Cause Asthma?
9-14-208:    Arthroscopic Knee Surgery- No Better than Placebo?; A Healthy Lifestyle Prevents Stroke
8-23-2008:  Alcohol Abuse Before & After Military Deployment; Running & Age; Running & Your Testicles
8-12-2008:  Green Tea & Diabetes; Breastfeeding & Adult Cholesterol Levels; Fish Oil & Senile Macular Degeneration
8-3-2008:   Exercise & Weight Loss; Green Tea, Folic Acid & Breast Cancer Risk; Foreign Language Interpreters & ICU Patients
7-26-2008:  Viagra & Sexual Function in Women; Patient-Reported Adverse Hospital Events; Curcumin & Pancreatic Cancer
7-13-2008:  Erectile Dysfunction & Frequency of Sex; Muscle Strength & Mortality in Men; Cryoablation for Prostate Cancer
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1-7-2008:  Testosterone Supplements in Elderly Men; Colorectal Cancer– Reasons for Poor Compliance with Screening Recommendations
12-31-2007:  Minority Women, Hormone Replacement Therapy & Breast Cancer; Does Health Insurance Improve Health?
12-11-2007:  Bias in Medical Research; Carbon Nanotubes & Radiofrequency: A New Weapon Against Cancer?; Childhood Obesity & Risk of Adult Heart Disease
