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Soybean Phytoestrogen Intake and Cancer Risk^1,2,

^* Department of Clinical Chemistry (FIN-00290) ^** IV Surgical Department, Helsinki University Central Hospital (FIN-00130) ^** Department of Chemistry (FIN-00100), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ^** Department of Community Health, Nutrition/Infection Unit, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111; ^** Epidemiology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tsukiji 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan ^*** Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Central Hospital, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland ^**** Department of Oncology and Immunology, Children's University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany

Because many Western diseases are hormone-dependent cancers, we have postulated that the Western diet, compared with a vegetarian or semivegetarian diet, may alter hormone production, metabolism or action at the cellular level. Recently, our interest has been focused on the cancer-protective role of some hormone-like diphenolic phytoestrogens of dietary origin, the lignans and isoflavonoids. The precursors of the biologically active compounds originate in soybean products (mainly isoflavonoids but also lignans), as well as whole grain cereals, seeds, probably berries and nuts (mainly lignans). The plant lignan and isoflavonoid glycosides are converted by intestinal bacteria to hormone-like compounds with weak estrogenic and antioxidative activity; they have now been shown to influence not only sex hormone metabolism and biological activity but also intracellular enzymes, protein synthesis, growth factor action, malignant cell proliferation, differentiation and angiogenesis, making them strong candidates for a role as natural cancer protective compounds. Epidemiological investigations support this hypothesis, because the highest levels of these compounds are found in countries or regions with low cancer incidence. This report is a review of results that suggest that the diphenolic isoflavonoids and lignans are natural cancer-protective compounds.

KEY WORDS: • soybean • phytoestrogens • cancer risk

¹ Presented at the First International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, held in Mesa, AZ, February 20–23, 1994. The symposium was sponsored by Protein Technologies International, the soybean growers from Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa and the United Soybean Board. Guest editors for this symposium were Mark Messina, 1543 Lincoln Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368, and John W. Erdman, Jr., Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801-3852.

² Supported mainly by the Medical Research Council of the Academy of Finland and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Helsinki, Finland, and recent methodological and in vitro metabolic studies also by National Institutes of Health (grant no. 1 R01 CA56289-01). Recent studies in Japan were supported by the Comprehensive 10-year Strategy for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Meilahti Hospital, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland.