Soy – OncWonk – Dr Bier's Oncology Research Reviews

Soy Isoflavones in Integrative Oncology: Increased Efficacy and Decreased Toxicity of Cancer Therapy

December 31, 2025

| Cancer - Prostate, Cancers, Supplements

Comment: While the biomarker shifts and preclinical toxicity reductions in this review are biologically profound, it is always important to remember that mechanistic success rarely translates directly to human clinical outcomes. That being clear, on a risk-benefit assessment, there is no reason to not include genistein, and some clear signals to. The tangible significance of […]

Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis

November 26, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast

Comment: This meta-analysis offers another powerful, data-driven affirmation of what the most up-to-date research has been telling us: consuming soy isoflavones is safe, and may even be protective, for women concerned about breast cancer. The narrative around soy has been dominated by mechanistic concerns and rodent studies instead of a focus on human data. Current […]

Dietary isoflavone intake is not statistically significantly associated with breast cancer risk in the Multiethnic Cohort

November 23, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast, Nutrition

Comment: For years, the key question surrounding soy intake and breast cancer has been about safety: Does soy increase risk, especially in low-consuming Western populations? Numerous studies have shown safety, however most studies have been in an Asian population. This large, prospective study drawn from the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) provides a clear and reassuring answer for […]

Dietary Isoflavone Intake and All-Cause Mortality in Breast Cancer Survivors: the Breast Cancer Family Registry

November 23, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast

Comment: This study provides compelling, high-quality data (although observational) that directly addresses the question of soy safety in a western population. For decades, the bulk of the robust epidemiological evidence linking high isoflavone intake to improved survival was rooted in Asian populations—populations with a lifetime of high whole-soy food consumption. Since women in Western populations […]

Soy Consumption and Breast Cancer Outcomes – Synthesis

November 15, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast, Synthesis

🌱Synthesized Clinical Bottom Line updated 11-15-2025 The provided body of evidence, including two meta-analyses and several large prospective cohort studies, indicates that post-diagnosis soy food consumption is safe and likely beneficial for breast cancer survivors. Contrary to long-standing concerns fueled by inapplicable mouse models, the human data consistently show that moderate soy intake is associated […]

Effect of Soy Protein Isolate Supplementation on Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy

October 26, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Prostate

Comment: This study showed that supplementing with a soy protein isolate didn’t impact PSA levels. However, a critical piece of context for this null finding is the dose they used. The 41 mg/day of total isoflavones used in this trial sits at the absolute low end of the 40-80 mg/day range typically tested in prostate cancer […]

Association between Soy Isoflavone Intake and Breast Cancer Risk for Pre- and Post-Menopausal Women

October 26, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast

Comment: This meta-analysis is a classic example of how pooling heterogeneous and methodologically different studies can create confusion. In general I am always suspicious of meta-analyses for that reason. Although it is possible that there is a biological reason for the studies on Asian women to be different than on Western, it is also possible […]

Soy isoflavones and risk of cancer recurrence in a cohort of breast cancer survivors: the Life After Cancer Epidemiology study

October 26, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Breast, Nutrition

Comment: For years, people have been inappropriately scared of soy both in terms of causing breast cancer and negatively impacting progression once they have it. There is a group of people out there who are continuing to promote that despite all evidence to the contrary. The key finding of this study is not just that […]

Soy Consumption and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

October 25, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Prostate

Comment: This meta-analysis of observational studies serves as another robust rebuttal to the lingering concerns regarding soy’s impact on male hormonal health. It shows a significant reduction in prostate cancer risk in those with the highest consumption. With data representing over 266,000 participants and 21,000 cases, the findings suggest that soy isoflavones function as protective […]

Soy and isoflavone consumption and subsequent risk of prostate cancer mortality: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study

October 25, 2025

| No Comments

| Cancer - Prostate

Comment: This study presents a provocative and counter-intuitive finding that directly challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding soy and prostate cancer. While many previous studies have suggested a protective role for soy, this large, prospective Japanese cohort finds the opposite: the highest intake of soy foods was associated with a 76% increased risk of prostate cancer […]