Phytoestrogens and Breast Diseases: A Matter of Concern for the Gynecologist

Sadaf Alipour (1), Amirhossein Eskandari (2)
(1) Breast Disease Research Center, TUMS, Iran, Islamic Republic of,
(2) Deputy of Education, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of

Abstract

Background: This study is the last part of a quadruple series investigating the relationship between breast disorders and the consumption of exogenous sex hormones. Due to the structural similarity of phytoestrogens to estrogen and the confusion associated with their possible estrogenic activity in the breast, this part aims at reviewing of the literature on the relationship between phytoestrogens and breast disorders.
Methods: We carried out a thorough search of the existing literature using appropriate keywords with the aim of finding systematic reviews, reviews, cohort studies and clinical trials regarding the effects of phytoestrogens on the breast in the general population, breast cancer survivors, women at high risk of breast cancer and those with benign breast diseases.
Results: Many studies have approached the relationship between phytoestrogens and the risk of breast cancer or recurrence of the disease. Also, a few studies have considered the effects of phytoestrogens on benign breast disorders, BRCA genes, and the risk of breast cancer in high risk women. However, the variety of studies and the retrospective nature of many of them make it impossible to draw definite conclusions.
Conclusion: Existing data generally supports the safety of phytoestrogen consumption regarding the risk of breast cancer in the general population, in women with benign breast disorders, in those at risk of breast cancer, and even in survivors of the cancer. However, due to insufficient evidence, prescription of high doses of phytoestrogens is still not recommended.

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Yager JD, Davidson NE. Estrogen carcinogenesis in breast cancer. The New England journal of medicine. 2006; 354:270-82.

Clemons M, Goss P. Estrogen and the risk of breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344:276-85.

Alipour S, Eskandari A. Prescribing Oral Contraceptives in Women With Breast Diseases: A Matter of Concern for the Gynecologist. Archives of Breast Cancer. 2019:55-68.

Eskandari A, Alipour S. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Diseases: A Matter of Concern for the Gynecologist. Archives of Breast Cancer. 2019:113-9.

Alipour S, Eskandari A. Miscellaneous Exogenous Hormones and Breast Diseases: A Matter of Concern for the Gynecologist. Archives of Breast Cancer. 2019:150-5.

Rietjens IM, Louisse J, Beekmann K. The potential health effects of dietary phytoestrogens. British journal of pharmacology. 2017; 174:1263-80.

Peeters P, Keinan-Boker L, Van der Schouw Y, Grobbee D. Phytoestrogens and breast cancer risk. Breast cancer research and treatment. 2003; 77:171-83.

Iqbal J, Abbasi BA, Khalil AT, Ali B, Mahmood T, Kanwal S, et al. Dietary isoflavones, the modulator of breast carcinogenesis: Current landscape and future perspectives. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2018; 11:186.

Wiśniewska I, Jochymek B, Lenart-Lipińska M, Chabowski M. The pharmacological and hormonal therapy of hot flushes in breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer. 2016; 23:178-82.

This P, De La Rochefordi A, Clough K, Fourquet A, Magdelenat H. Phytoestrogens after breast cancer. Endocrine-related cancer. 2001; 8:129-34.

Quella SK, Loprinzi CL, Barton DL, Knost JA, Sloan JA, LaVasseur BI, et al. Evaluation of soy phytoestrogens for the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: A North Central Cancer Treatment Group Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2000; 18:1068-.

Van Patten CL, Olivotto IA, Chambers GK, Gelmon KA, Hislop TG, Templeton E, et al. Effect of soy phytoestrogens on hot flashes in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Journal of Clinical oncology. 2002; 20:1449-55.

Dastjerdi MV, Eslami B, Sharifi MA, Moini A, Bayani L, Mohammad-Khani H, et al. Effect of soy isoflavone on hot flushes, endometrial thickness, and breast clinical as well as sonographic features. Iranian journal of public health. 2018; 47:382.

Alipour S, Afshar S, Moini A, Dastjerdi MV, Saberi A, Bayani L, et al. Clinical and Ultrasonographic Changes of the Breast after Use of Soy Isoflavones. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2012; 13:6093-5.

Calado A, Neves PM, Santos T, Ravasco P. The effect of flaxseed in breast cancer: a literature review. Frontiers in nutrition. 2018; 5:4.

Dong J-Y, Qin L-Q. Soy isoflavones consumption and risk of breast cancer incidence or recurrence: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Breast cancer research and treatment. 2011; 125:315-23.

Fritz H, Seely D, Flower G, Skidmore B, Fernandes R, Vadeboncoeur S, et al. Soy, red clover, and isoflavones and breast cancer: a systematic review. PloS one. 2013; 8:e81968.

Nagata C, Mizoue T, Tanaka K, Tsuji I, Tamakoshi A, Matsuo K, et al. Soy intake and breast cancer risk: an evaluation based on a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence among the Japanese population. Japanese journal of clinical oncology. 2014; 44:282-95.

Zhao T-T, Jin F, Li J-G, Xu Y-Y, Dong H-T, Liu Q, et al. Dietary isoflavones or isoflavone-rich food intake and breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Clinical nutrition. 2019; 38:136-45.

McCann SE, Muti P, Vito D, Edge SB, Trevisan M, Freudenheim JL. Dietary lignan intakes and risk of pre‐and postmenopausal breast cancer. International journal of cancer. 2004; 111:440-3.

Linseisen J, Piller R, Hermann S, Chang‐Claude J. Dietary phytoestrogen intake and premenopausal breast cancer risk in a German case‐control study. International journal of cancer. 2004; 110:284-90.

Thanos J, Cotterchio M, Boucher BA, Kreiger N, Thompson LU. Adolescent dietary phytoestrogen intake and breast cancer risk (Canada). Cancer Causes & Control. 2006; 17:1253-61.

Anderson LN, Cotterchio M, Boucher BA, Kreiger N. Phytoestrogen intake from foods, during adolescence and adulthood, and risk of breast cancer by estrogen and progesterone receptor tumor subgroup among Ontario women. International journal of cancer. 2013; 132:1683-92.

Flower G, Fritz H, Balneaves LG, Verma S, Skidmore B, Fernandes R, et al. Flax and breast cancer: A systematic review. Integrative cancer therapies. 2014; 13:181-92.

Li T, Yang J, Lv Y, Yin F, Xu L, Liu H, et al. Quantitative comparison of drug efficacy in treating hot flashes in patients with breast cancer. Breast cancer research and treatment. 2019; 173:511-20.

Prasad P, Shayne M. Effect of Dietary Soy on Breast Cancer Recurrence and Mortality: A Review. J Nutr Food Sci. 2016; 6:2.

Messina M. Impact of soy foods on the development of breast cancer and the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Complementary Medicine Research. 2016; 23:75-80.

Qiu S, Jiang C. Soy and isoflavones consumption and breast cancer survival and recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of nutrition. 2019; 58:3079-90.

Powles TJ, Howell A, Evans DG, McCloskey EV, Ashley S, Greenhalgh R, et al. Red clover isoflavones are safe and well tolerated in women with a family history of breast cancer. Menopause international. 2008; 14:6-12.

Hedelin M, Löf M, Olsson M, Adlercreutz H, Sandin S, Weiderpass E. Dietary phytoestrogens are not associated with risk of overall breast cancer but diets rich in coumestrol are inversely associated with risk of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor negative breast tumors in Swedish women. The Journal of nutrition. 2008; 138:938-45.

Goodman MT, Shvetsov YB, Wilkens LR, Franke AA, Le Marchand L, Kakazu KK, et al. Urinary phytoestrogen excretion and postmenopausal breast cancer risk: the multiethnic cohort study. Cancer Prevention Research. 2009; 2:887-94.

Ko K-P, Kim S-W, Ma SH, Park B, Ahn Y, Lee JW, et al. Dietary intake and breast cancer among carriers and noncarriers of BRCA mutations in the Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2013; 98:1493-501.

Bernard-Gallon DJ, Satih S, Chalabi N, Rabiau N, Bosviel R, Fontana L, et al. Phytoestrogens regulate the expression of genes involved in different biological processes in BRCA2 knocked down MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10a cell lines. Oncology reports. 2010; 23:647-53.

Bosviel R, Dumollard E, Déchelotte P, Bignon Y-J, Bernard-Gallon D. Can soy phytoestrogens decrease DNA methylation in BRCA1 and BRCA2 oncosuppressor genes in breast cancer? Omics: a journal of integrative biology. 2012; 16:235-44.

Donovan MG, Selmin OI, Doetschman TC, Romagnolo DF. Epigenetic Activation of BRCA1 by Genistein In Vivo and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells Linked to Antagonism toward Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor. Nutrients. 2019; 11:2559.

Malherbe K, Fatima S. Fibrocystic Breast Disease. StatPearls [Internet]: StatPearls Publishing; 2019.

Ajmal M, Van Fossen K. Breast fibroadenoma. 2019.

Wu C, Ray RM, Lin MG, Gao DL, Horner NK, Nelson ZC, et al. A case-control study of risk factors for fibrocystic breast conditions: Shanghai Nutrition and Breast Disease Study, China, 1995–2000. American journal of epidemiology. 2004; 160:945-60.

Mirghafourvand M, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Ahmadpour P, Javadzadeh Y. Effects of Vitex agnus and Flaxseed on cyclic mastalgia: A randomized controlled trial. Complementary therapies in medicine. 2016; 24:90-5.

Atkinson C, Ray RM, Li W, Lin M-G, Gao DL, Shannon J, et al. Plasma equol concentration is not associated with breast cancer and fibrocystic breast conditions among women in Shanghai, China. Nutrition Research. 2016; 36:863-71.

Кишакевич І, Конар Р. Correction of dismetabolic manifestations in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women with fibrocystic disease. Reproductive Endocrinology. 2016:82-6.

Authors

Sadaf Alipour
Amirhossein Eskandari
dr_a_eskandari@yahoo.com (Primary Contact)
1.
Alipour S, Eskandari A. Phytoestrogens and Breast Diseases: A Matter of Concern for the Gynecologist . Arch Breast Cancer [Internet]. 2020 Feb. 29 [cited 2024 Oct. 3];:4-9. Available from: https://www.archbreastcancer.com/index.php/abc/article/view/276

Article Details

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>