The Role of Phytoestrogens in Prevention of Breast Cancer: A review

Background: Phytoestrogens are natural plant substances. The three main classes are isoflavones, coumestans, and lignans. Phytoestrogens haveanticarcinogenic potential, they have also significant estrogenic properties. Aim: The present study aim to evaluation of the effect of phytoestrogens on breast cancer risk.Methods: This research is a review study that was done by searching in medical databases including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Iran Medex and SID. Then articles regarding for the effect of Phytoestrogens and breast cancer from 1992 to present were collected. Information in these studies was extracted and analyzed using a designed form.Results: All extracted articles were designed and critically reviewed by two researchers. After the final review, 20 articles were systematically reviewed. In all articles, the effect of dietary intake of soy products and the risk of breast cancer have assessed. Overall, results do not show protective effects, with the exception maybe for women who consume phytoestrogens at adolescence or at very high doses. Only in the results of the few article, phytoestrogens on the prevention of breast cancer effective was mentioned.Implications for practice: There are contradictory results on the effectiveness of phytoestrogens on the prevention of breast cancer. Despitenumerous investigations, the mechanisms of phytoestrogen action in breast cancer have yet to be elucidated. It remains uncertain whether these plant compounds are chemo protective or whether they may produce adverse outcomes related to breast carcinogenesis. In conclusion, few prospective studies were done to assess the effects of phytoestrogens on breast cancer risk. None of them found protective effects. However, these prospective studies did not focus on ‘age at consumption’, which seems to be important based finding for further studies

کلیدواژه ها:

Phytoestrogen ، Prevention ، Breast Cancer.