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Cancer
Pre-Menopausal Women Can Lower Their Risk Of Breast Cancer
Date: 07/06/07
According to the latest research findings pre-menopausal women who consume high amounts of calcium and vitamin D may lower their risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 40 per cent. This finding is extremely promising as every year over one million women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide.
But post-menopausal women may not benefit from the vitamin and mineral combination said the US researchers behind the new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Lead researcher Jennifer Lin said: 'Findings from the present study suggest that higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D from dietary plus supplemental sources may be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women. The inverse association in pre-menopausal women may be more pronounced in more aggressive breast tumours.'
Assessing the results
Lin and her co-workers assessed 10,578 pre-menopausal and 20,909 post-menopausal women (average age 55.2, average BMI 25.9 kg per sq.m) using a questionnaire about their medical history and lifestyle, plus a 131-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to detail food, beverage and supplement consumption during the previous year.
Over an average of 10 years of follow-up, the researchers documented 276 cases of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women and 743 cases in post-menopausal women. Among the pre-menopausal women, calcium and vitamin D intake were associated with a 39 and 35 per cent lower risk of breast cancer respectively, comparing the highest with the lowest intakes. No such benefits were observed in post-menopausal women.
Commenting on the findings the researchers said: 'A possible explanation for the evident difference by menopause status may be related to the joint relationship among calcium, vitamin D and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs).'
'In vitro studies have suggested that calcium and vitamin D exert anti-carcinogenic effects on breast cancer cells expressing high levels of IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3. Calcium, vitamin D and IGF binding protein 3 have been shown in vitro to interact with each other in promoting growth inhibition in breast cancer cells,' they added.
The researchers explained that since blood levels of these compounds decline with age, they would be more prevalent in younger, pre-menopausal women.
'Further investigation is warranted to study the potential utility of calcium and vitamin D intake in reducing the risk of breast cancer,' concluded the authors.
Back to topBut post-menopausal women may not benefit from the vitamin and mineral combination said the US researchers behind the new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Lead researcher Jennifer Lin said: 'Findings from the present study suggest that higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D from dietary plus supplemental sources may be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women. The inverse association in pre-menopausal women may be more pronounced in more aggressive breast tumours.'
Assessing the results
Lin and her co-workers assessed 10,578 pre-menopausal and 20,909 post-menopausal women (average age 55.2, average BMI 25.9 kg per sq.m) using a questionnaire about their medical history and lifestyle, plus a 131-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to detail food, beverage and supplement consumption during the previous year.
Over an average of 10 years of follow-up, the researchers documented 276 cases of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women and 743 cases in post-menopausal women. Among the pre-menopausal women, calcium and vitamin D intake were associated with a 39 and 35 per cent lower risk of breast cancer respectively, comparing the highest with the lowest intakes. No such benefits were observed in post-menopausal women.
Commenting on the findings the researchers said: 'A possible explanation for the evident difference by menopause status may be related to the joint relationship among calcium, vitamin D and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs).'
'In vitro studies have suggested that calcium and vitamin D exert anti-carcinogenic effects on breast cancer cells expressing high levels of IGF-1 and IGF binding protein 3. Calcium, vitamin D and IGF binding protein 3 have been shown in vitro to interact with each other in promoting growth inhibition in breast cancer cells,' they added.
The researchers explained that since blood levels of these compounds decline with age, they would be more prevalent in younger, pre-menopausal women.
'Further investigation is warranted to study the potential utility of calcium and vitamin D intake in reducing the risk of breast cancer,' concluded the authors.
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