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Background: Although high soy consumption may be associated with lower breast cancer risk in Asian populations, findings from epidemiological studies have been inconsistent., Objective: We investigated the effects of soy intake on breast cancer risk among Korean women according to their menopausal and hormone receptor status., Methods: We conducted a case-control study with 358 incident breast cancer patients and 360 age-matched controls with no history of malignant neoplasm. Dietary consumption of soy products was examined using a 103-item food frequency questionnaire., Results: The estimated mean intakes of total soy and isoflavones from this study population were 76.5 g per day and 15.0 mg per day, respectively. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we found a significant inverse association between soy intake and breast cancer risk, with a dose-response relationship (odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for the highest vs the lowest intake quartile: 0.36 (0.20-0.64)). When the data were stratified by menopausal status, the protective effect was observed only among postmenopausal women (OR (95% CI) for the highest vs the lowest intake quartile: 0.08 (0.03-0.22)). The association between soy and breast cancer risk did not differ according to estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) status, but the estimated intake of soy isoflavones showed an inverse association only among postmenopausal women with ER+/PR+ tumors., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that high consumption of soy might be related to lower risk of breast cancer and that the effect of soy intake could vary depending on several factors.

Background: Folate, a water-soluble B vitamin and one of the major micronutrients in vegetables, is known as an essential factor for the de novo biosynthesis of purines and thymidylate, and it plays an important role in DNA synthesis and replication. Thus, folate deficiency results in ineffective DNA synthesis, and has been shown to induce the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, the incidence of CRC in Korea has increased markedly in both men and women; this trend may be related to the adoption of a more 'westernized' lifestyle, including dietary habits., Objective: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted to examine the relationship between folate intake and the risk of CRC within a Korean population., Methods: A total of 596 cases and 509 controls, aged 30-79 years, were recruited from two university hospitals. Site- and sex-specific odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using logistic regression models., Results: Cases were more frequently found to have a family history of CRC among first-degree relatives, to consume more alcohol, to be more likely current smokers and less likely to participate in vigorous physical activity than the controls. In the overall data for men and women combined, multivariate ORs (95% confidence interval (CI), P for trend) comparing the highest vs the lowest quartile of dietary folate intake were: 0.47 (0.32-0.69, <0.001) for CRC, 0.42 (0.26-0.69, <0.001) for colon cancer and 0.48 (0.28-0.81, 0.007) for rectal cancer. An inverse association was also found in women with dietary folate intake: 0.36 (0.20-0.64, <0.001) for CRC, 0.34 (0.16-0.70, 0.001) for colon cancer and 0.30 (0.12-0.74, 0.026) for rectal cancer, but not in men. In addition, the total folate intake of women was strongly associated with a reduced risk of rectal cancer (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.88; P for trend=0.04)., Conclusion: We found a statistically significant relationship between higher dietary folate intake and reduced risk of CRC, colon cancer and rectal cancer in women. A significant association is indicated between higher total folate intake and reduced risk of rectal cancer in women.

This article describes a pooled analysis of 41 Korean patients with metastatic oral tumours. The data reviewed are from Korean dental and medical case reports published between 1983 and 2004. The mean age was 55.2 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.9:1. There were more metastases in the jawbone than in oral soft tissues. The lung was the most common primary site for jawbone metastases, whereas the liver was for those of oral soft tissues. In contrast to reports in Western literature of the breast being the most common primary site, the liver was the most common primary site, followed by the lung and thyroid. These differences may be caused by a relatively high incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea.

A total of 1,537 domestic and imported food products were examined for the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes between 1993 and 1997 in Korea. L. monocytogenes was detected using the U.S. Department of Agriculture isolation method. Isolated L. monocytogenes was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction with hly1 and hly2 primers designed from the listeriolysin O. Overall, 122 samples (7.9%) contained L. monocytogenes. The rate of isolation was 4.3% for beef, 19.1% for pork, 30.2% for chicken, 1.2% for shellfish, 4.4% for raw milk, 4.4% for frozen smoked mussels, and 6.1% for ice cream. No L. monocytogenes was found in pasteurized milk, pasteurized processed cheese, saltwater fish, dried seafoods, or ham. The overall incidence was lower than that reported in previous studies from other countries. Most isolates were serotype 1/2b except for chicken, in which serotype 1/2a was predominant. The serotyping results might imply the presence of food or geography-specific L. monocytogenes strains.