Does Soy Consumption Lower Risk for Endometrial and Ovarian Cancers?

Phytoestrogens in soy foods can lower risk for endometrial and ovarian cancers, but quantitative data are lacking. In a meta-analysis of five case-control and two cohort studies, researchers examined the effects of soy intake on these two cancers. The studies included 169,051 participants (median age, 54; range, 18–85) in the U.S., China, Italy, and Japan, of whom 3516 had endometrial or ovarian cancer. Measures of soy intake varied: Some investigators evaluated consumption of soy-containing foods, whereas others assessed isoflavone intake.

In each study, women who consumed the highest amounts of soy had lower risk for these cancers than did women with the lowest consumption (pooled odds ratio, 0.61; OR for endometrial cancer, 0.70; OR for o…