Meta-analysis confirmed that vitamin D and calcium prevents breast cancer – June 2010

Meta-analysis of vitamin D, calcium and the prevention of breast cancer

by: Peizhan Chen, Pingting Hu, Dong Xie, Ying Qin, Fudi Wang, Hui Wang
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Vol. 121, No. 2. (1 June 2010), pp. 469-477.

Abstract Vitamin D and calcium intake have been suggested to have protective effects against breast cancer; however, the data have been inconclusive. The present meta-analysis examined the overall effects of vitamin D intake, circulating 25(OH)D and 1?,25(OH)2D levels, and calcium intake on breast cancer risk. Data from 11 studies on vitamin D intake, 7 studies on circulating 25(OH)D levels, 3 studies of circulating 1?,25(OH)2D levels, and 15 studies on calcium intake and breast cancer risk were included in this analysis. From the meta-analysis, there was a significant inverse relationship between vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk, with an overall relative risk (RR) of high versus low vitamin D intake for breast cancer of 0.91 (95% CI = 0.85–0.97). The highest quantile of circulating 25(OH)D was found to be associated with a 45% (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.38–0.80) decrease in breast cancer when compared with the lowest quantile. No significant association for the circulating 1?,25(OH)2D level and breast cancer was found (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.68–1.44). For calcium, a 19% (RR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.72–0.90) decrease in breast cancer risk was found for those with highest quantile of calcium intake compared to the lowest quantile. These results provide strong evidence that vitamin D and calcium have a chemopreventive effect against breast cancer.

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