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Health News Archive 450 - Breast Cancer
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Low Vitamin D Associated With Advanced Breast Cancer

Researchers have found that vitamin D levels are higher in women with early-stage breast cancer compared to women with advanced (locally advanced or metastatic) breast cancer.  This indicates that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in breast cancer progression.

In cell culture experiments, vitamin D promotes differentiation and apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, and potently inhibits proliferation of malignant breast cells. It also has been previously shown that serum levels of the vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D are higher in normal women compared to patients with primary breast cancer.

The current study aimed to clarify the role of vitamin D in breast cancer progression by comparing the levels of serum vitamin D in patients with early and advanced breast cancer. Vitamin D levels were measured in 279 Caucasian women with invasive breast cancer, 204 with early-stage malignancy and 75 with locally advanced or metastatic disease.

The researchers determined that patients with early-stage breast cancer had significantly higher circulating levels of the vitamin D metabolite 25(OH)D concentration of 57 nmol/l compared to those with advanced disease 46.0 nmol/l. There was no significant difference between the early- and advanced-stage groups in calcium levels (2.34 mmol/l versus 2.34 mmol/l, P=0.74). The raised PTH level could account for the lack of any difference in serum calcium between these two groups, Dr. Palmieri and colleagues noted.

Using blood samples from clinic visits, the investigators measured circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and calcium, since all three function together. Vitamin D enhances absorption of calcium and parathyroid hormone acts to synthesize an active form of vitamin D.

The authors did not determine why vitamin D levels differed between early-stage and later-stage breast cancer. They comment that it is not known whether the low vitamin D levels among those with advanced disease are a cause or consequence of the cancer. However, past studies have shown that vitamin D treatment increases the activity of certain key genes and reduces activity in other genes. One such vitamin-D-affected gene is p21, known for its ability to control the cell cycle. Consequently, the authors suggested that although low vitamin D levels could be simply a consequence of advanced disease, the fact that vitamin D controls p21 suggests that low levels of vitamin D may encourage progression to advanced disease.

Source: Palmieri C, Macgregor T, Girgis S, Vigushin D. Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels in early and advanced breast cancer. J Clin Pathol. October 17, 2006 [Epub ahead of print].

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