Vitamin D, Calcium and Prevention of Breast Cancer: A Review

Abstract

Several recent epidemiologic and experimental studies have suggested that decreased calcium and vitamin D intake and high dietary fat are associated with mammary gland carcinogenesis. Complete reduction or elimination of human exposure to environmental factors such as high-fat diets is inherently difficult to implement. Recent studies have begun to evaluate a possible role for increased dietary calcium and vitamin D in reducing the risk of colonic and mammary cancers, even in the presence of a high-fat diet. Studies from our laboratory recently found that decreased dietary calcium and vitamin D in a high-fat diet induced adverse changes in the mammary gland and several other organs, which were reversed by increasing dietary calcium and vitamin D; the findings further suggest a possible role for increased dietary calcium and vitamin D in the chemoprevention of these cancers.

• breast cancer
• calcium
• vitamin D
• chemoprevention
• diet

Key teaching points:

• Recent studies in animal models have suggested that increasing dietary calcium and vitamin D might inhibit the development of breast cancer.

• Epidemiologic studies of breast cancer and exposure to sunlight also have supported a role for vitamin D in the inhibition of breast cancer.

• Vitamin D induces differentiation of mammary gland cells.

• Humans with vitamin D receptor-positive tumors had longer disease-free survival than those with receptor-negative tumors.

Key teaching points:

• Recent studies in animal models have suggested that increasing dietary calcium and vitamin D might inhibit the development of breast cancer.

• Epidemiologic studies of breast cancer and exposure to sunlight also have supported a role for vitamin D in the inhibition of breast cancer.

• Vitamin D induces differentiation of mammary gland cells.

• Humans with vitamin D receptor-positive tumors had longer disease-free survival than those with receptor-negative tumors.

Notes

The preparation of this report was aided by NCI Grant P01 CA29502.