The phytoestrogens in soy milk and human estrogen are different. Drinking soy milk will not only not cause breast cancer, but will also reduce the incidence of breast cancer, and breast-conserving surgery must be performed with strict indications. The saying that “drinking soy milk for a long time will lead to breast cancer” has been circulating on the internet, based on the fact that “soy products contain a large amount of phytoestrogens, and high estrogen is one of the high risk factors for breast cancer.” As a result of this view, many women are afraid to drink soy milk anymore, or even completely cut off their relationship with soy foods. This reporter interviewed Liao Ning, a member of the expert group of the Medical Secretary of the Ministry of Health on “Breast Cancer Treatment Specification”, a member of the expert group of the Ministry of Health on “Breast Cancer Diagnosis Guidelines”, and the director of the Breast Department of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, who said that the statement has no scientific basis at all, on the contrary, several studies have shown that drinking soy milk can not only reduce the risk of breast cancer, but also reduce the risk of recurrence of breast cancer patients, and soy milk is really Soy milk is really a good anti-tumor ingredient. Phytoestrogens ≠ human estrogens Soybeans as a traditional ingredient occupy an important position in our dietary structure, and soy milk, tofu brain, dried beans and soy skin are common delicacies in our daily life. However, a few days ago, a netizen posted that women who drink soy milk for a long time will lead to breast cancer because soy products contain a large amount of phytoestrogens, and high estrogen is one of the high risk factors for breast cancer. The post is so convincing that many women are confused: “Is this soy milk to drink or not to drink?” ”When it comes to estrogen, many people are concerned because excessive levels of estrogen can cause breast cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine fibroids, and uterine bleeding. But the phytoestrogens in soy milk are not the same as human estrogen.” Liao Ning introduced that phytoestrogens are a class of non-steroidal compounds with weak estrogenic properties that exist naturally in plants, named because their biological activity is similar to estrogen, and the soy isoflavones in soybeans belong to one of them. Studies have found that phytoestrogens have a molecular structure similar to that of estrogen and can bind to estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), producing effects similar to those of estrogen. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens that compete with human estrogen (estradiol E2) for binding to the estrogen receptor, but the competitive binding capacity is much lower than that of estradiol. The isoflavones in soy preferentially bind estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) over estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) by trans-action, leading to structural changes in estrogen receptors and producing selective estrogen receptor modulator effects (SERMs), which exert therapeutic and preventive effects on breast cancer. Drinking soy milk reduces the incidence of breast cancer “There is no direct relationship between phytoestrogens and breast cancer, and several studies have confirmed that drinking soy milk not only does not cause breast cancer, but also reduces the incidence of breast cancer.” Liao Ning said. A study published in June 2008 in the Journal of Nutrition, a leading international medical journal, showed that Asian women could reduce the incidence of breast cancer by 1/3 by drinking soy milk. a 2011 study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment showed that soy milk intake in Asian populations significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer. a 2012 study published jointly by experts from the United States and China The results stated that they investigated 9,154 breast cancer patients with an average follow-up time of 7.4 years and concluded that there was no difference in breast cancer mortality between the group that drank more than 10 mg of soy milk per day and the group that did not drink soy milk, but the group that drank more than 10 mg of soy milk per day had a significantly lower recurrence rate of breast cancer. It can be seen that drinking soy milk not only does not cause breast cancer, but also reduces the risk of breast cancer and is a protective factor for the occurrence of breast cancer. In fact, after women enter menopause, proper consumption of soy products can compensate for the reduced estrogen due to menopause, thus reducing or avoiding causing menopausal syndrome. Australian scientists found that menopausal women who consumed 45 grams of soy per day had a 40% reduction in the incidence of menopausal syndrome. Other studies have found that a daily intake of 100 mg of soy isoflavones is safe and provides good protection against menopausal syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Treatment: Don’t blindly pursue breast-conserving rates As a member of the expert group of the Medical Secretary of the Ministry of Health for the Treatment of Breast Cancer and a member of the expert group of the U.S. NCCN Clinical Oncology Guidelines for Breast Cancer (Chinese version), Liao Ning holds a different view on breast-conserving treatment in some hospitals in China at present. “Some hospitals in China blindly pursue breast-conserving rate, believing that high breast-conserving rate means high level of breast cancer treatment, which are actually two different things. The blind pursuit of high breast-conserving rate will only lead to high recurrence rate, and the choice of each surgical modality and the choice of systemic treatment strategy should be based on curing the patient as the fundamental.” She said that breast-conserving surgery must be performed with strict indications. Before breast-conserving surgery, a physical examination by a physician, breast ultrasound, mammogram or MRI is required to determine the number and location of breast lumps. Breast-conserving treatment is generally suitable for patients with maximum diameter of breast tumor less than 5 cm. A part of patients without axillary lymph node metastasis with tumor diameter greater than 5 cm can also consider breast-conserving surgery after preoperative chemotherapy. Breast-conserving surgery is not suitable for patients with two or more distant lumps on the same side of the breast and positive margins during surgery; breast-conserving surgery is not recommended for breast cancer found during pregnancy or breastfeeding; in addition, patients with combined lupus erythematosus are also contraindicated for breast-conserving surgery. ”Some patients have a large tumor with multicentric lesions, in which case the breast-conserving recurrence rate is very high; other patients whose grandmothers and mothers have breast cancer are also not suitable for breast-conserving.” Liao Ning said that for those patients who have undergone breast-conserving surgery, they must be followed up strictly after breast-conserving surgery, usually at least once every three months. A breast cancer clinical trial has been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration and is being conducted at more than 10 hospitals nationwide, including the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital Breast Surgery Department. Those who are screened and meet the enrollment criteria have the opportunity to receive free relevant examinations as well as treatment drugs. Breast cancer patients participating in the clinical trial must meet at least the following criteria: postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed breast cancer with primary or metastatic lesions that are estrogen receptor positive (ER positive) and meet one of the following criteria: recurrence during or within 12 months after the end of adjuvant endocrine therapy (triamcinolone acetonide, toremifene). Disease progression during endocrine therapy (triamcinolone acetonide, toremifene) started at least 12 months after the end of adjuvant endocrine therapy. For patients who have failed endocrine therapy as first-line treatment (triamcinolone acetonide, toremifene) for progressive breast cancer.