Phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer

Breast cancer and carcinoma of the prostate belong to a group of hormone-dependent cancers that would also include tumours of the ovary and endometrium. These cancers comprise a major proportion of the so-called 'Western diseases'. The incidence of and mortality from these cancers are high in the Western world relative to the rates associated with Asian populations such as the Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Filipino, and somewhat higher than those for people in countries surrounding the Mediterranean. Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis follow a similar pattern and would also be considered 'Western diseases'.Carcinoma of the breast remains the principal cause of death from cancer in women in the developed countries of the West and particularly in the United States of America and Northern Europe. A recent report (Boyle & Maisonneuve 1995) confirms that the highest incidence rates are exclusively within the United States with an annual rate