Vit. D, Calcium and Breast Ca ncer

Posting Date: 11/22/2004

Dr. Dean's Comment: While this study looked only at breast densities this is a marker for breast cancer. Vitamin D and Calcium of course are found in many foods but dairy is an especially good source. They are also important for the prevention of other conditions including osteoporosis. If you worry about fat you have no exuse to not consume lo or non fat dairy products.

Vitamin D, Calcium, and Mammographic Breast Densities

Vitamin D and calcium are being evaluated as potential breast cancer prevention agents. This study reports on the relation of dietary vitamin D and calcium to mammographic breast densities, one of the strongest breast cancer risk factors. Participants were women ages 40 to 60 years who had had a screening mammogram in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts (1989?1990). Diet was assessed by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, and the percentage of the breast showing densities was estimated visually by a single observer without information on subjects. Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare dietary intakes of vitamin D and calcium between women classified as having few densities (30% of the breast with density, n = 287) and extensive densities (70% of the breast with density, n = 256). For categories of increasing vitamin D intake (<50, 50?99, 100?199, and 200 IU/d), adjusted odds ratios (OR) for extensive densities were 1.00 (reference), 0.51, 0.37, and 0.24, respectively (P for trend = 0.0005). For increasing calcium intake (<500, 500?749, 750?999, and 1,000 mg/d), adjusted ORs were 1.00 (reference), 0.63, 0.25, and 0.24, respectively (P for trend = 0.0006). Combination of higher intakes of vitamin D and calcium (100 IU/d and 750 mg/d, respectively) were associated with a reduction of breast densities (OR, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.15?0.54) compared with those consuming <100 IU/d and <750 mg/d. Increases in vitamin D and calcium intakes were associated with decreases in breast densities, suggesting that dietary vitamin D and calcium could reduce breast cancer risk possibly through influences on breast tissue morphology.

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