Health Report:
Vitamin D & Breast Cancer Risk
"A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers..."
By, Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
Updated: 11/08/2009
The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health.
VITAMIN D & BREAST CANCER RISK
As regular readers of this column already know, Vitamin D is a very hot molecule in the world of cancer prevention research. While there have been contradictory results among various clinical research studies regarding the proper role of Vitamin D in the prevention of cancer, there is a growing tally of clinical and laboratory research studies suggesting that higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers. Now, another clinical research trial, just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, adds further weight to the theory that Vitamin D may, in fact, significantly reduce the risk of developing certain cancers.
This study involved 2,465 women who were scheduled for diagnostic mammograms. Blood levels of Vitamin D were measured in these women prior to performing their mammograms. Of these nearly 2,500 women, 142 were subsequently confirmed to have a breast cancer. An additional 420 women participating in this study were matched with the newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in terms of age, menopausal status, and other factors known to play a role in breast cancer risk. (This group of 420 women turned out not to have breast cancer, following their mammograms, and so they served as a “control group” for this prospective clinical research study.)
As with several previous Vitamin D cancer prevention studies that I have previously reviewed, the results of this study were quite interesting. After analyzing their data, this study’s authors determined that the women with the highest levels of Vitamin D in their blood experienced a 48 percent reduction in the relative risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer when compared to the women with the lowest levels of Vitamin D.
The evidence for a potential protective effect of Vitamin D against cancer is, arguably, strongest for colon and rectal cancer. However, there is a growing body of research hinting at a potential protective effect for Vitamin D against breast cancer, as well. (As is virtually always the case for disease prevention research, however, there have been several research studies that have failed to identify a cancer prevention benefit for Vitamin D.)
Clearly, additional research is necessary to ferret out the appropriate role of Vitamin D in cancer prevention, and large prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research (with long term follow-up of patients) will be necessary to resolve the conflicting cancer prevention research data with respect to Vitamin D. Meanwhile, given the stronger data for Vitamin D and colorectal cancer prevention (and for cardiovascular disease prevention, as well), Vitamin D remains, essentially, the only vitamin for which there is at least moderate clinical evidence supporting a potential cancer prevention benefit.
As always, before starting a new vitamin supplement, or other nutritional supplement, I encourage patients to see their personal physician first.
Below are links to previous Vitamin D and breast cancer columns that I have recently published:
Breast Cancer Recurrence, Death & Vitamin D
Vitamin D & Cardiovascular Health; Vitamin D & Breast Cancer; Green Tea & Colorectal Cancer
Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a widely published author, and a Surgical Oncologist at the Kaiser Permanente healthcare system in Orange County, California
(Anticipated Publication Date: March 2010)
(Click above image for TV36 interview of Dr. Wascher)
Links to Other Health & Wellness Sites
Copyright 2007 - 2009
Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS
All rights reserved
Dr. Wascher's Archives:
11-1-2009: Exercise & Prostate Cancer Risk
10-25-2009: HPV Virus & Risk of Breast Cancer
10-18-2009: Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome (Symptoms after Gallbladder Surgery)
10-11-2009: Vitamin D & Falls in the Elderly
10-4-2009: Surgery, NSQIP, Complications & Death
9-27-2009 Stress, Heart Disease, Exercise & Death
9-20-2009: Vitamin D & Colorectal Cancer Survival
9-13-2009: H1N1 Swine Flu Update
9-7-2009: Green Tea, Aging & Lifespan
8-30-2009: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Diet & Fiber
8-23-2009: Update on Prostate Cancer and Cryotherapy
8-16-2009: Exercise Improves Lymphedema Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors
8-9-2009: Breast Cancer Recurrence, Death & Vitamin D
8-2-2009: Honesty, Dishonesty & Brain Function
7-26-2009: Coronary Artery CT Scans & Cancer Risk
7-19-2009: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & Ovarian Cancer
7-12-2009: Breast Cancer & Metformin (Glucophage)
7-5-2009: Prostate Cancer & Green Tea
6-28-2009: Air Pollution & the Risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
6-21-2009: Red Yeast Rice, Statins & Cholesterol
6-14-2009: Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant & Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
6-7-2009: Diet, Soy & Breast Cancer Risk
5-31-2009: Diet and Prostate Cancer Risk
5-24-2009: Diabetes, Glucose Control & Death
5-17-2009: Drug Company Marketing & Physician Prescribing Bias
5-10-2009: Hemorrhoids & Surgery
5-3-2009: Statin Drugs & Blood Clots (Thromboembolism)
4-26-2009: Are We Really Losing the War on Cancer?
4-19-2009: Exercise in Middle Age & Risk of Death
4-12-2009: Can Chronic Stress Harm Your Heart?
4-5-2009: Does PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer Save Lives?
3-15-2009: Depression, Stress, Anger & Heart Disease
3-8-2009: Coronary Artery Disease: CABG vs. Stents?; Swimming Lessons & Drowning Risk in Children
3-1-2009: Aspirin & Colorectal Cancer Prevention; Fish Oil & Respiratory Infections in Children
2-22-2009: Health Differences Between Americans & Europeans; Lycopene & Prostate Cancer
2-15-2009: Statin Drugs & Death Rates; Physical Activity, Breast Cancer & Sex Hormones
2-8-2009: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & Breast Cancer; Stool DNA Testing & Cancer of the Colon & Rectum
1-25-2009: Prostate Cancer, Fatigue & Exercise; Does your Surgeon “Warm-up” Before Surgery?
1-18-2009: Cancer and Vitamins; Teenagers, MySpace and Risky Behaviors
1-11-2009: Exercise Reverses Some Effects of Fatty Meals; Vitamin C and Blood Pressure
12-28-2008: Stress & Your Risk of Heart Attack; Vitamin D & the Prevention of Colon & Rectal Polyps
12-21-2008: Breast Cancer Incidence & Hormone Replacement Therapy; Circumcision & the Risk of HPV & HIV Infection
12-14-2008: Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Selenium Do Not Prevent Cancer; Postscript: A Possible Cure for Down’s Syndrome
12-7-2008: Generic vs. Brand-Name Drugs, Stress & Breast Cancer Survival
11-30-2008: A Possible Cure for Down’s Syndrome?; Smoking & Cognitive Decline; Calcium & Vitamin D & Breast Cancer Risk
11-23-2008: Breast Cancer & Fish Oil; Lymphedema after Breast Cancer Treatment; Vasectomy & Prostate Cancer Risk
11-9-2008: Statins Cut Heart Attack Risk Even with Normal Cholesterol Levels; Statins & PSA Level
11-2-2008: Radiation Treatment of Prostate Cancer & Second Cancers; Sexual Content on TV & Teen Pregnancy Risk
10-26-2008: Smoking & Quality of Life
10-19-2008: Agent Orange & Prostate Cancer
10-12-2008: Pomegranate Juice & Prostate Cancer
10-5-2008: Central Obesity & Dementia; Diet, Vitamin D, Calcium, & Colon Cancer
9-28-2008: Publication & Citation Bias in Favor of Industry-Funded Research?
9-21-2008: Does Tylenol® (Acetaminophen) Cause Asthma?
9-14-208: Arthroscopic Knee Surgery- No Better than Placebo?; A Healthy Lifestyle Prevents Stroke
8-23-2008: Alcohol Abuse Before & After Military Deployment; Running & Age; Running & Your Testicles
2-23-2008: Universal Healthcare Insurance Study; Glucosamine & Arthritis
2-3-2008: Vitamin D & Cardiovascular Health; Vitamin D & Breast Cancer; Green Tea & Colorectal Cancer
1-12-2008: Statins, Diabetes & Stroke and Obesity; GERD & Esophageal Cancer
12-31-2007: Minority Women, Hormone Replacement Therapy & Breast Cancer; Does Health Insurance Improve Health?
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