Table 2

Mean and median serum and urinary phytoestrogen levels in the European Prospective into Cancer-Norfolk breast cancer case – control study

Median
 % detected
 Median
 % detected
 P valuea
Full study
 Controls (n = 952)
 Cases (n = 237)
     Serum (ng/ml)




          Genistein
 5.00
 91
 4.77
 93
 0.608
          Daidzein
 2.00
 86
 1.98
 91
 0.206
          Equol
 0.01
 29
 0.01
 33
 0.005
          o-Desmethylangolensin
 0.10
 52
 0.10
 59
 0.284
          Glycitein
 0.01
 29
 0.01
 40
 <0.0001
          Enterodiol
 0.10
 58
 0.20
 68
 0.023
          Enterolactone
 5.83
 98
 5.00
 98
 0.088
     Urine (μg/mmol creatinine)
 Controls (n = 851)
 Cases (n = 213)
          Genistein
 5.71
 84
 6.47
 86
 0.071
          Daidzein
 14.82
 92
 14.63
 94
 0.134
          Equol
 0.011
 47
 0.011
 52
 0.403
          o-Desmethylangolensin
 0.92
 73
 0.58
 75
 0.486
          Glycitein
 0.62
 69
 1.29
 79
 <0.0001
          Enterodiol
 6.45
 86
 7.25
 91
 0.188
          Enterolactone
 112.70
 97
 102.07
 97
 0.366
Oestrogen receptor-positive subgroup
 Controls (n = 381)
 Cases (n = 112)
     Serum (ng/ml)




          Genistein
 4.80
 89
 4.55
 89
 0.446
          Daidzein
 1.83
 84
 1.89
 87
 0.846
          Equol
 0.01
 37
 0.01
 41
 0.637
          o-Desmethylangolensin
 0.10
 51
 0.10
 56
 0.569
          Glycitein
 0.01
 25
 0.01
 29
 0.372
          Enterodiol
 0.10
 59
 0.17
 61
 0.645
          Enterolactone
 6.60
 98
 6.25
 98
 0.739
     Urine (μg/mmol creatinine)
 Controls (n = 344)
 Cases (n = 102)
          Genistein
 5.67
 84
 4.74
 80
 0.675
          Daidzein
 15.30
 93
 13.09
 92
 0.948
          Equol
 0.04
 51
 0.46
 61
 0.073
          o-Desmethylangolensin
 1.29
 70
 1.02
 72
 0.899
          Glycitein
 0.51
 65
 0.56
 70
 0.195
          Enterodiol
 6.62
 85
 8.82
 91
 0.075
          Enterolactone
 123.99
 97
 136.55
 99
 0.044

aP value from the Wilcoxon – Mann – Whitney test.

Ward et al. Breast Cancer Research 2008 10:R32   doi:10.1186/bcr1995