Japanese researchers have found foods high in soy protein reduce the risk of estrogen receptor cancers, according to results published recently in the International Journal of Cancer.

Researchers at the Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute in Nagoya say soy consumption reduced the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative tumors.

During the case-control study, researchers observed 678 cancer cases and 3,390 controls matched by age and menopausal status with no history of cancer. According to the study a "significantly reduced risk" of breast cancer was found among women with the highest soy intake who were ER-positive, HER2-negative or both.

Overall, the study's findings concluded soybean products have potential benefit in preventing some breast cancers.

Women who like their morning cup of coffee can enjoy it a little more knowing their cancer risk won't increase.

Caffeine doesn't increase an overall breast cancer risk, according to a study published this week by Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Tokyo Women's Medical University.

Making healthy lifestyle choices to decrease cancer risk has often been the best preventive medicine. The study addressed specific concerns that large amounts of coffee would increase breast cancer risk.

While overall coffee didn't increase risk, researchers plan further study on caffeine's effect on estrogen and progesterone receptor-negative cancers and benign breast disease in women consuming large amounts of coffee.

The current study monitored nearly 40,000 women, ages 45 and older, for 10 years, during which time 1,188 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Results showed women consuming caffeinated beverages and foods didn't have an overall higher breast cancer risk. Among the women who consumed the most caffeine, those with non-benign breast disease posed a slightly higher breast cancer risk.

Snack-sized quantities of walnuts can slow cancer growth. That's according to a recent study from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

The study included two groups of mice; one group was fed the equivalent of two human servings of walnuts, while the other group ate a more typical American diet.

Researcher W. Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., of Marshall's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, says the object of the study was to determine if eating walnuts has an impact on the rate of breast cancer growth.

According to the study, tumors in the walnut-fed group took twice as long to double in size. Hardman says walnuts contain three components which have proven to slow cancer growth in other studies: omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols.

Hardman, who has spent 15 years studying the role of diet in cancer, says research shows that Americans need to get more fat calories from omega-3 fatty acids than from saturated fats.

The study has been published in the current issue of the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

Women who use complementary or alternative medicines, in an effort to prevent cancer, consume green tea more than any other alternatives. That's according to a study conducted in Australia and presented at a recent cancer conference in Chicago.

Australian cancer specialists studied nearly 900 women with a family history of breast cancer. While use of complementary medicines was high among the women - about 50% - researchers say it is comparable to the national average.

Green tea was found to be the most widely used non-conventional therapy among women in the study who said they specifically use complementary medicines believing they will help to prevent cancer.

In addition to green tea, a low fat diet, massage therapy, omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins and supplements were also commonly used among the women studied.

However, the researchers say the majority of the women studied use complementary medicines as part of a healthy lifestyle, not to help prevent cancer.  

The study may be one of the largest investigations into alternative therapy use for disease prevention.

According to Canadian researchers, women who are deficient in vitamin D when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to die or see the tumor spread.

Dr. Pamela Goodwin, who led the study, recently published her findings in the American Society of Clinical Oncology.  Her research found that women with low levels of vitamin were 94% more likely to have their cancer metastasize and 73% more likely to die within 10 years.

According to Dr. Goodwin, the study offers the first clinical evidence that vitamin D is linked to breast cancer progression.  Past studies have shown a link between vitamin D and prevention of colon and prostate cancer.

However, Goodwin cautions that the study does not provide enough evidence to suggest that taking vitamin D will prevent breast cancer.

Goodwin's findings are scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago.

According to BreastCancer.org, the risk of a woman being diagnosed with breast cancer has increased from 1 in 20 in 1960, to 1 in 8 today. In the United States alone, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes.

Dr. Christopher Lepisto, a practicing Naturopathic Doctor at The Alderwood Center for Natural Health, says good nutrition can be the first step in helping to prevent breast cancer. Dr. Lepisto recommends a diet that includes:

• high-fiber content, emphasizing smaller amounts of healthy fats
• preventative nutrients like carotenes and bioflavonoids in berries and other brightly colored fruits and vegetables
• indole-3-carbinol rich vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower
• selenium
• vitamin A
• vitamin C
• and a variety of whole, minimally processed foods

According to Dr. Lepisto, women may also want to consider supplements, which can include omega-3 essential fatty acids, potent antioxidants like melatonin, and liver-supportive herbs such as articum and milk thistle.  However, Lepito stresses the importance of a nutritional program that is tailored to a person's individual needs.

If you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, maintaining a nutritional diet is essential in keeping your body strong while enhancing the effectiveness of your cancer treatment.

Compounds found in strawberries, grapes, blueberries and common seasonings can kill cancer cells in test tubes.  That's according to research by molecular biologist Susan J. Zunino, Ph.D. of the USDA-ARS-Western Human Nutrition Research Center, in Davis, California.

Dr. Zunino's research revealed that plant-based chemicals, or phytochemicals, were shown to kill leukemia cancer cells.  The phytochemicals include resveratrol from grapes and blueberries, carnosol from rosemary, and quercetin, kaempferol and ellagic acid from strawberries.

According to a recent Natural News article, Dr. Zunino and her colleagues are moving forward with additional research in this realm of nutrition therapy.  Zunino's goal is to learn exactly how polyphenolic antioxidants battle cancer cells.

As the article points out, Zunino's research shows the importance of adding fresh fruits and vegetables to a child's (and adult's) daily diet, in an effort to prevent cancer cell growth.

Although cancer survivors who eat better, exercise regularly and avoid tobacco often have a higher quality of life than those that don't, many cancer survivors don't follow through with these recommendations.

"We all know that living a healthy lifestyle, eating well, being physically active and not smoking reduces the risk of physical problems and improves overall physical health," said Kevin Stein, director of Quality of Life Research at the American Cancer Society's Behavioral Research Center. The senior author of a study detailing the findings, published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology goes on to say, "Here we have additional evidence that it not only reduces disease burden but also improves emotional health and quality of life and, moreover, the effect appears to be cumulative. The more you comply, the better your quality of life."

Unfortunately, the message does not seem to be sticking.

Of the over 9,000 participants, less than 20% of the survivors were getting the recommended five-a-day fruits and vegetables and only 30% to 50% were meeting the physical activity recommendation.

In all, only 5% of the participants were meeting all of the lifestyle recommendations, while up to 12.5% weren't complying with any of the recommendations.