Here, we report that: (1) both I3C and genistein, a soy isoflavone with cancer preventive activity for prostate cancer and other tumour types, upregulate both BRCA1 and BRCA2; (2) the BRCA genes contribute to some functional activities of I3C and genistein; and (3) BRCA induction may be due, in part, to stimulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress signalling. The gene discussed is BRCA1; the disease is prostate carcinoma.