Honest Health
In my last column, (Times, Sept. 4), I described how and why I believe the American Cancer Society (ACS) misleads women into believing that eating soy on a regular basis is useless (or even dangerous) as a natural way to prevent breast cancer.
Finally, I suggested that the ACS wants women to fear soy in¬ order to promote tamoxifen and arimidex. These blockbuster drugs,¬ used for breast cancer prevention, before or after a diagnosis of estrogen-positive breast cancer, were developed,¬ or¬ are manufactured, by AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company that annually gives the American Cancer Society $10 million.
Last week, I was surprised that Dr. Ted Gansler, director of medical content for the American Cancer Society and editor of the society's publication, "CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians," wrote a letter to the Times ("Clarifying Cancer Society's soy stand" Opinion page, Tuesday, Sept. 15),¬ criticizing my Sept. 4 column.¬
Unfortunately, Dr. Gansler's recent¬ letter says¬ nothing new to clarify the American Cancer Society's position on soy. Instead, like most American Cancer Society statements, Gansler uses double speak to defend the society's anti-soy stance.
In a single paragraph he manages to say that "soy foods are safe and may be beneficial ... (but)¬ it is not possible to be certain because of insufficient evidence. ...We also suggest caution regarding use of soy supplements by women with breast cancer because the effects of these products have not been studied thoroughly."
This superficial dismissal of soy is irresponsible and becomes alarming¬ when Dr. Gansler fails to even mention two recent major studies that offer overwhelming support for eating fermented soy as an effective way to help women prevent breast cancer.
Studying nearly 1,600 Asian-American women and publishing their results in the journal — "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention" this past April — researchers found that eating soy before puberty decreases a woman's breast cancer rate by 60 percent and eating soy (especially fermented soy) during adulthood decreases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 25 percent. These are incredible statistics, worth celebrating with a feast of miso soup every morning.
This past June, the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published another study showing a 59 percent decrease of breast cancer for women who ate a high amount of fermented soy. The study involved 73,223 Chinese women participating in the Shanghai Women's Health Study. Again I say, "Alleluia¬ and Hosanna!"
Dr. Gansler must be familiar with these and with the hundred-plus earlier published studies that statistically indicate the preventative effects of eating fermented soy. If so, why won't he or his employer, the ACS, talk about research?¬ More to the point, why won't the American Cancer Society educate American women about ways to introduce fermented soy into our everyday diets?
To add insult to injury, Gansler does not cite any research studies to support his "soy-is-scary" or his "insufficient-evidence" premise; nor does he propose that the ACS fund any studies that might answer his lingering questions about soy.
Who knows the truth; but it would appear that AstraZeneca, the company that developed tamoxifen and now manufactures arimidex, both with billion-dollar markets, would not be happy if clients dropped these drugs and switched to tofu, miso and tempeh stir-frys.¬ Meanwhile, remember that AstraZeneca gives the American Cancer Society a $10 million donation each year.¬
Colin Campbell, professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell,¬ and author of the 2004¬ "China Study," called the "Grand Prix of Epidemiology" by the New York Times,¬ is very clear about why soy is preferable to taking tamoxifen or arimidex to help block the possible development of estrogen-positive tumors:
"Drugs such as tamoxifen and its newer analogues are considered anti-estrogen drugs. In effect, they work by reducing the activity of estrogen which is known to be associated with elevated breast cancer risk. My question is quite simple: why don't we ask why estrogen is so high in the first place, and once we recognize its nutritional origin, why don't we then correct that cause?
"We have enough information to show that a diet low in animal -based protein, low in fat and high in whole plant foods will reduce estrogen levels. Instead of suggesting dietary change as a solution, we spend hundred of millions of dollars developing and publicizing a drug that may or may not work and that almost¬ certainly will have unintended side effects."
Canyon Ranch physicians in the Berkshires town of Lenox also follow Dr. Campbell's research findings by helping breast cancer veterans and other women lower their circulating estrogen levels through a plant-based diet that includes fermented soy, along with strenuous exercise and¬ fat loss, instead of¬ having their clients take tamoxifen¬ or arimidex to lower estrogen levels.
So what is a person to do with this revelation?
Just as regulators and lawmakers struggle to overhaul our financial system, corrupted by greed; just as Congress struggles to overhaul our health-care system, also corrupted by greed, individuals should now call for an overhaul of the American Cancer Society's ethical standards, and ask it to put women's health and educational needs first, instead of merely supporting¬ breast cancer drugs sold by the society's largest corporate donor.
But as my son always says, "Yeah Mom; when pigs fly."
For¬ those wanting¬ more information on the links between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical, radiology and other industries, see: "The Secret History of the War on Cancer,"¬ by Devra Davis, Basic Books, 2007; "Breast Cancer: Poisons, Profits and Prevention,"¬ by Liane Clorfene-Casten, Common Courage Press, 1996;¬ and visit the National Cancer Prevention Coalition at www.preventcancer.com
Susan Wadia-Ells, PhD, a longtime wellness advocate, with graduate degrees in politics, energy economics and women studies, is founding director of the national nonprofit organization, Know Breast Cancer, www.knowbreastcancer.net. She also writes the blog www.thetruthaboutbreastcancer.com and lives in Manchester.
