Vitamin D Gene Variants, Diet, and Breast Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): McCullough Marjorie L, Stevens Victoria L, Diver William R, Feigelson Heather S, Rodriguez Carmen, Bostick Robin M, Thun Michael J, Calle Eugenia E
Primary Institution: American Cancer Society
Hypothesis
Does the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer vary with vitamin D pathway gene polymorphisms and dietary calcium intake?
Conclusion
The study found no overall association between vitamin D pathway genes and breast cancer risk, but high calcium intake may lower risk in women with certain gene variants.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with the Bsm1 bb SNP and high calcium intake had lower odds of breast cancer.
- No significant association was found between VDR genotypes and breast cancer risk overall.
- Dietary calcium intake modified the association between certain VDR SNPs and breast cancer risk.
Takeaway
This study looked at how certain genes and calcium in food might affect the chances of getting breast cancer in older women. It found that eating more calcium could help some women with specific genes.
Methodology
A nested case-control study within the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, involving 500 breast cancer cases and 500 matched controls.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of dietary intake due to reliance on self-reported questionnaires.
Limitations
The study relied on a single dietary assessment and did not measure blood levels of vitamin D.
Participant Demographics
500 postmenopausal women, 99% Caucasian, median age 62 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
0.38 to 0.96
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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