Vitamin D deficiency in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

Abstract

Aim:The aim was to determine serum vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients and to assess its risk association with grade and stage of the tumor.Materials and Methods:Ninety breast cancer patients and equal number of age-matched healthy females were recruited into the study by consecutive sampling over a period of 6 months for this case control study. Serum 25(OH)2D levels and CT bone mineral density was done.Results:The mean age was 46±1.5 years. Age, marital status, menopausal, residential area, parda observing status, and body mass index were similar in distribution among cases and controls. The mean serum vitamin D level in the breast cancer patients was 9.3 ng/ml and in the control group was 14.9 ng/ml (P value <0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was seen in 95.6% (86) breast cancer patients and in 77% (69) of the control group (P value <0.001). Among the breast cancer patients the tumor characteristics (histology, grade, stage, and receptor status) did not show any significant associations with serum levels of vitamin D. Premenopausal breast cancer females had a mean serum vitamin D level of 10.5 ng/ml and postmenopausal females had a mean value of 13.5 ng/ml (P value 0.015). Low BMD did not correlate significantly with vitamin D deficiency (P value 0.787).Conclusion:Invariably almost all patients with breast cancer were vitamin D deficient. Tumor characteristics did not show any significant associations with serum levels of vitamin D. Bone mineral density did not correlate significantly with vitamin D deficiency.

Association between Vitamin D deficiency and Breast Cancer

“…This finding is slightly different from a study done in Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Lahore, that showed vitamin D deficiency in 76.7% of controls and 95.6% of cases 4. However, there is marked difference in our findings as compared to a study of Crew et al that showed vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 20ng/ml) in 28% of controls and 33% of cases 1.…”

“…In our study 71.4% of cases and 46.2% of controls were overweight that may link increased frequency of vitamin D deficiency in cases as compared to controls because of high BMI as shown in study of Imtiaz et al4 The topic of vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer risk is a field of intense study and many aspects of it require further investigations.…”

Serum vitamin D (25OHD3) levels and the risk of different subtypes of breast cancer: A nested case–control study

“…Concerning low levels, this is in agreement with a previous study, which showed that lower 25OHD 3 was associated with a larger tumour size [43]. The results regarding vitamin D and tumour grade have been inconclusive in previous studies and our study showed no clear relation [44,45].…”

Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI and FokI Polymorphisms in Relation to Ovarian Cancer Risk in the Polish Population

“…The VDR has been found in various tissues, including cardiac myocytes, b-cells in the pancreas, immune cells, and other peripheral tissues that indicate the broad role of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 in human (Churilla et al, 2012). Reduced vitamin D status has been associated with either poor prognosis or development of lung, thyroid, breast, gastric, colon, and head and neck cancers (Cheng and Neuhouser, 2012;Imtiaz et al, 2012;Orell-Kotikangas et al, 2012;Pereira et al, 2012;Roskies et al, 2012;Ren et al, 2012). Decreased levels of vitamin D have also been found in patients with ovarian cancer as compared to the general population (Bakhru et al, 2010).…”