Continuing Professional Education Credit

SOY CONNECTION Newsletter Vol 32, No 4

1. Muriel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, she is cancer negative. She is now 64 years old and wants to implement lifestyle changes to reduce risk, but she’s concerned she is “too old” to reap any benefit of regular physical activity. How would you advise Muriel when it comes to physical activity?

2. Muriel is confused by all the conflicting dietary advice regarding reducing breast cancer risk for survivors. She said she is willing to change her meal pattern but doesn’t know where to start. Muriel usually eats a lot of meat and potatoes but is willing to try plant-based options. Which of the following might you say to Muriel?

3. Muriel says she enjoys stir fry with lots of vegetables and beef steak strips and her homemade chili is made with beef. Which of the following modifications could assist Muriel in making more plant-based choices?

4. Several studies have evaluated the impact of diet on breast cancer recurrence and survival, and two are randomized controlled trials (RCT); these studies examined the impact of diet on recurrence and overall survival. A meta-analysis of these studies suggested modest effects on overall survival. What are the names of these two studies?

5. The Nurses' Health Study (NHS), a long-running prospective cohort study of female nurses, has examined numerous health outcomes in relation to diet and other factors. Analyses based on these data showed that intake of a_________diet was associated with reduced mortality from causes other than breast cancer.

6. You are a dietitian preparing to educate a group of dietetic interns about key observations from The Nurses' Health Study (NHS) regarding protein intake and increased survival after diagnosis from breast cancer. According to one analysis of the NHS results, there was increased survival among women eating _______protein but not ____ _____.

7. Key findings of the Pathways Study indicate that ________is/are aligned with healthy eating recommendations around the time of diagnosis are associated with lower risks of non-breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality.

8. Jennifer is a 55-year-old breast cancer survivor, 7 years cancer free, seeking nutrition counseling to help reduce recurrence and manage her weight. Jennifer reports consuming a high plant-based diet consisting of refined grains, vegetarian frozen dinners, sweetened juices and prepared, sweetened soy milk-based smoothies. She rarely eats fresh fruit or vegetables. Jennifer’s diet, although plant based, is an example of a/an _______plant based diet and may be associated with increased risk of all cause and non-breast cancer mortality.

9. Designing a more healthful plant-based meal plan might include the following choices:

10. In healthy women, at-risk women, and women with breast cancer, _________delivered in the form of supplements or soy protein -- even in amounts greatly exceeding typical Asian intake -- have no effects on markers of breast cancer risk including mammographic density and breast cell proliferation.

11. You receive a call from Dr. Smith, an oncology resident, who has a patient on the drug tamoxifen. The patient has estrogen receptor positive breast cancer and is vegan, regularly consuming soy foods. Dr. Smith asks your opinion about soy consumption and endocrine therapy and wants to know if he should advise the patient to discontinue all soy foods. What does the current evidence say about this issue?

12. There is a bit of controversy as to whether postdiagnosis soy intake impacts breast cancer outcomes. The genesis of the soy and breast cancer controversy can be tied to: