Publication list via PubMed

As part of the Epidemiology Program and as a physician in Preventive Medicine, my goal is to understand the etiology of cancer, in particular breast cancer, and to contribute to strategies of cancer prevention. My research focuses on breast cancer risk, in particular mammographic densities and hormone levels. Results from our nested case-control study within the Multiethnic Cohort confirmed the strong association between mammographic densities and breast cancer risk in all ethnic groups despite differences in breast size and percent density. With the help of these biomarkers, we investigated possible preventive effects of soy foods in intervention studies among women, girls, and men. Recently, our studies have expanded into the area of breast fluid collection and analysis. The idea is that hormone levels and breast cells in breast fluid may provide us with a better understanding of how preventive agents affect breast tissue. The soy related research builds on the opportunities offered by the ethnically diverse population of Hawaii, the geographic proximity to Japan, the Nutrition Shared Resource, and the Analytical Laboratory with expertise in isoflavone assessment. We are currently investigating the effects of soy foods on breast cancer risk among premenopausal women. Women participating in the BEAN study consume 2 daily servings of soy foods for 6 months, eat their regular diet for another 6 months, and donate breast fluid and blood samples repeatedly. Since there is considerable experimental and epidemiologic research suggesting that soy may have a stronger influence on breast development during childhood and adolescence than during adulthood, we are developing a DXA based method to monitor breast growth among girls and young women.