Vitamin D

Indication: Breast cancer

Source: J Clin Pathol., October 17, 2006;Epub ahead of print.

Research: Laboratory and epidemiological studies have implicated vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. This was the impetus for research-ers to measure vitamin D levels, parathyroid hormone and calcium in 204 women with early stage breast cancer, 279 with invasive breast cancer and 75 women with advanced breast cancer.

Results: Women with early stage breast cancer had higher levels of vitamin D and lower levels of parathyroid hormone than women with advanced disease. Calcium levels were similar in both groups. Researchers said further studies need to determine whether this association is cause or effect. They also said that in the context of all the available data on vitamin D, that the data seem to support the hypothesis that vitamin D is somehow involved in breast cancer.