Study Suggests Vitamin D Deficiency May Play a Role in Breast Cancer

by | Sep 15, 2009 | 2009, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Vitamin D - Cancer

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Women deficient in vitamin D levels had a 94% increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and a 73% increased risk of death from breast cancer, compared to women with sufficient levels. 

Breast cancer is the second biggest cancer killer of American women after lung cancer, responsible for the deaths of an estimated 40,580 women in 2004 (1) and contributing significantly to cancer’s overall cost to society of $219 billion per year (2).

Now a new study (3) has found that a vitamin D deficiency may play a role in breast cancer, specifically cancer recurrence and patient survival. In the study, researchers measured the vitamin D blood levels of 512 women with an average age of 50 and an early breast cancer diagnosis. They found that the average blood vitamin D level was 58.1 nanomoles/Liter, with 37.5% of women classified as “deficient” (< 50 nmol/L), 38.5% of women classified as “insufficient” (50 to 72 nmol/L), and 24% classified as “sufficient” (> 72 nmol/L).

After following up with the women over the course of nearly 12 years, they found that women classified as deficient (< 50 nmol/L) in vitamin D levels had a 94% increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and a 73% increased risk of death from breast cancer, compared to women with sufficient levels.

For the researchers, “Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with poor outcomes in breast cancer. The National Academy of Sciences places the upper limit of vitamin D supplementation per day to be 2,000 IU per day (4) but research has shown that this will produce vitamin D blood levels of 40-60 ng/L (5). Because 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D has been shown to be safe (6), it is perhaps time to increase overall vitamin D recommendations.

Source: Goodwin, Pamela J., et al. “Prognostic effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in early breast cancer.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 27.23 (2009): 3757-3763.

© 2009 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Posted September 15, 2009.

References:

  1.  “2004/2005 Fact Sheet Cancer Registries: The Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Control” posted on the CDC website.
  2. “Costs of Cancer” posted on the American Cancer Association website.
  3. Prognostic Effects of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Early Breast Cancer.  Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 27, No 23 (August 10), 2009: pp. 3757-3763.
  4. National Academy of Sciences–Institute of Medicine–Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary reference intakes for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluorideWashington (DC): National Academy Press; 1997.
  5. Garland FC.  Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: Global Perspective.  Ann Epidemiol 2009;19:468–483.
  6. Basile LA, Taylor SN, Wagner CL, Horst RL, Hollis BW. The effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and milk calcium concentration in lactating women and their infants. Breastfeed Med. 2006;1:27–35.