Are soy products bad for breast cancer?

Barbe - I only fat free organic milk.

I am asking ladies here to use their DR  and ocon as their reference, not opinions posted here.  IT disease is too complicated for one person (not YOU BARBE) because she may have a personal problem with me stating that with me.  /some of the studies quoted are 6-8 years old - that is a Long time in BC research.  plus you have to take into account who is funding these studies

Erica/Daisy/whoever you choose to be tomorrow, a study that is 6-8 years old is not necessarily outdated.  In fact in many cases older studies may be a lot more valid than some of the more recent studies.  It depends on how the study was done, the size of the sample, etc. etc..  I've spent 30+ years working with research and I know that the validity of a study has little to do with when it was done. It's how it was done that counts. Of course if some critical factors incorporated into the study have changed as a result of new scientific learning, that might invalidate the findings of an earlier study.  However with diet studies done within the past decade, that's not much of a concern. There are many more significant issues that can affect the reliability of diet studies. 

In any case, while I did present some studies that were 6-8 years old, if you bothered to read my entire post (rather than skim to find things that you could call me out on), you'll see that what I actually did was include all the studies that I could find about dairy products that have been done since Dr. Plant came out with her statements about dairy (my post was in response to the post about Dr. Plant). I referenced one very detailed report that analysed all the significant studies that had been done up to that point in time (2004), and then I included the summaries and links for all the major studies done on dairy products and breast cancer since that report had been written. Did I get every study that's been done?  No, probably not but I was trying to present as complete a picture as possible. Personally I think that's more reliable and fact-based than simply quoting one person (Dr. Plant, for example) or saying that "you've read studies" (without including an references) or mentioning what you were told by your nutritionist.  But of course everyone gets to make up their own mind and believe whatever sources they want to believe. I just added my information to the pile. 

As for my having a personal problem with you (let's not beat around the bush about who you were referring to in your post; anyone who's been here a while knows that you were talking about me), actually, I don't have a problem with you at all. You have a problem with me. I don't go looking for your posts and then make things up in reaction to what you say so that I can disagree with you or prove you wrong.  That's your tactic - and frankly, pretty much everyone knows it so maybe it's time to quit. The truth is that I think your posts stand just fine on their own, without me needing to say anything.  However, as I've said to you probably a dozen times before, if you slander me or lie about me, I will respond, as I am doing here.  But if you stick to posts with information about the subject of the thread, I'm happy to not reference you at all. 

Barbe - I don't feel like anyone should decide which route to go in various situations that arise in BC based on what a non medical person says on here.  The final word should come from their Dr or a second or third opinion

There are too a few members who are giving out advice and some if it is very out dated and not accurate

Here are a few things on milk and cancer that were in Dr. Keith Blocks book, Life Over Cancer (He references multiple studies that support these things -- again, before anyone here gets upset, this is just information that I found and am sharing so everyone can make your decisions on whether to look into it further) ...

Specifics on why dairy, specifically milk, may poorly impact outcome for cancer survivors: (reported by Keith Block MD)

Milk contains high levels of calcium which ties up body's vitamin D which appears to control cancer dell division.

High levels of lactose and other sugars which raise blood sugar which can fuel cancer cell growth.

IGG-1, a tumor growth stimulator studies link to poorer outcomes with hormone sensitive cancers such as prostate and breast upper digestive tract and

Re: soy and Japanese women- the big difference I see that is not discused is that they eat much less red meat than we do. I seem to remember studies showing that those who moved to Western countries and started eating a Western diet, got the same diseases we do.

What bothers me about  South American counties using pesticides banned in the US (aside from envirnomental damage) is that we import their food products, and when these products are in our stores, there is no sign saying "Sprayed with banned substances."

As for antioxidents - my daughter was told by two oncs to avoid any extras in her diet because they bind to the same site on the cancer cell as the herceptin. Maybe this means that those who start out on a high antioxident diet reduce their chances of getting HER2+ cancers, but how many of us even knew about antioxidents until the last 5 to 10 years?

Seems our food is held captive by the money grubbing, mega corporations - Monsanto which is part of BP oil and Archer Daniel Midland. My sister is raising natural beef and what a chore it is - to be certified organic she has to have a 400a boundry around her grazing land to keep the crap from other farms from drifting over to hers so she ahs settled for haing the "natual, no hormones certifications.

just my two cents from all of my doctors, and a holistic one as well

the milk issue seems OK if you stick to fat free.  If you want to be safe, go organic and try to minimize it.  but most cancer docs do not tout milk as a problem, (at least not organic, skim milk)

the sugar "causes cancer" is bunk.  If only it were that easy!  Perhaps that one came from if you have excess weight, you tend to have more estrogen and it was surmised that sugar was the culprit?  Who knows.  drs. tend to steer clear of that one, also, but mine anyway are all unanimous in that while sugar may not be your best choice to eat, it does NOT cause cancer.

Flaxseed and soy are bad for ER+ ladies...they can feed estrogen.  Soy foods are bad, that is, like edame, tofu while soy sauce is fine.  Flaxseed in bread or pasta is not all that horrific, but there are better choices.

As stated, no magic bullets

I dont know that any of the souces I go to say that diet (sugar, milk, etc) causes cancer and definfitely not that it cures it. Just that diet is very important - one more factor - guess that's why all of us are spending so much time on this site.

Anyway, you ladies read a lot so you know, the researchers and docs arent' all in agreement, so we decide for ourselves what to believe based on what we read. I've read study after study showing  sugar is of significance - published many times in JAMA and some of the oncology journals. I've met lots of women with BC who were no longer responding well to traditional treatments and suddenly had 30 percent, 40 percent reduction in tumors and in some cases had them disappear -  some have only seen reduction or disappearance for a few months now - some for five to 10 years - when all they did different was diet. Everyone of them I asked, told me what they did was cut out sugar, dairy and meat.  Also into whole food herbs like selenium, tumeric, green and white teas. (don't know if they looked into fat-free milk) So between the studies and hundreds of anecdotes I'm getting directly from the ladies doing it, I personally am not  feeling qualified enough to say I know what's bunk and what's legit. Cancer is complicated - so many factors to consider.

Those tumors that didn't seem to react to the treatment???? They did! Just as the ladies changed their diets. Get real. Would any of you guys drop your treatment and take a chance on diet alone to cure you? Nope. Didn't think so.

Hi Member of the Club and all other ladies asking for links to studies suggesting sugar intake is tied to cancer. Here are a few of many ... and it's not so much the sugar that these researchers say increase cancer risk; they tie it to insulin and glucose - which are impacted by sugar intake. There are tons more links and if you read the books that have been referenced on this site such as Life Over  Cancer Keith Block and if you go to PubMed and google "sugar and cancer" or "insulin and cancer" or "glucose and cancer", you will find plenty more. Please do not attack me for sharing this - I am not saying I'm the expert - am just answering your question about studies. You obviously are free to believe and eat whatever you chose. You can also go to my website if you're interested in studies on diet and cancer, supplements and cancer (among other topics).  I periodically write on complimentary cancer. They're just brief blogs, but I do research them and provide links. I do not want to hear again that I'm just trying to promote my site but am reminding you it's there in case you really do just want another source to read up on what studies are out there. But back to your question on studies linking sugar, glucose and insuline to cancer, here you go...

"Glycemic Index load and breast  cancer risk."

http://www.lifeovercancer.com/Test86/pdf/Glycemic%20index,%20glycemic%20load%20and%20breast%20cancer%20risk.pdf

"Cancer Cells Consume up to 50 times more glucose than surrounding healthy cells."

Warburg O. The metabolism of tumors. London: Costable, 1930

Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956; 123: 309-14.

Krebs Jr., ET Krebs, Sr., ET Beard HH. The unitarian or trophoblastic thesis of cancer. Medical Record 1950; 163: 150-71

"Glucose allows cancer cells to grow extremely rapidly."

Santisteban GA. Ely JT. Hamel EE. Read DH. Kozawa SM. Glycemic modulation of tumor tolerance in a mouse model of breast cancer. Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications. 132(3):1174-9, 1985

Insulin and Cancer Integrative Cancer Ther 2003; 2(4):315-29

I'm not giving up milk, hot and sour soup, wine, sugar, or anything else in the "hopes" it will stave off a recurrence. 

I didn't survive BC to stop living!  lol

Yes.  For me, it is.

What's the whole point of enduring treatment if my life after treatment sucks ass?  lol

I was healthy before BC, I'll continue on.  Chocolate, milk, wine, hot and sour soup etc included

I agree with TonLee.  There has never been a connection established between sugar in the diet and cancer.  Thats the point.

 We all need carbs for energy.  I wouldn't be able to train for the marathon I'm training for without carbs.   

I agree Member about the carbs.  I have to have some before my workout or I poop out at about 30 minutes in....

Good luck with your marathon!  That's awesome. 

Mscal,

I get at least three emails a week from well meaning friends and family about:

1.  What gave me cancer

2.  How to avoid it spreading

3.  How to get rid of it naturally/spiritually

If it were only that easy.