Black, Hispanic women with vitamin D deficiency may be at higher risk for breast cancer
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Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women who have low vitamin D concentrations may be more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those with adequate concentrations, according to a study published in Cancer.
“Together with prior studies on this topic, this article suggests that vitamin D may be associated with reduced risk [for] breast cancer, including among women who self-identify as Black, African American, Hispanic or Latina,” Katie M. O’Brien, PhD, staff scientist in the epidemiology branch of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said in a press release.
Background, methodology
Research has indicated vitamin D may protect against breast cancer, but few studies have explored this potential association among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women, who tend to have lower levels of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D than white women.
For the current study, O’Brien and colleagues obtained blood samples from participants in the nationwide Sister Study cohort, including 415 women later diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,447 women who did not develop breast cancer. The groups had similar proportions of Black/African American (70%) and Hispanic/Latina (30%) women.
Researchers used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in blood samples collected at enrollment.
Mean follow-up was 9.2 years.
Results
Results showed a 21% lower breast cancer rate among women with vitamin D levels that exceeded the clinical cut point for deficiency (20 ng/mL) compared with those who had concentrations of 20 ng/mL or less (HR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-1.02).
Researchers observed a stronger inverse association among Hispanic/Latina women (HR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29-0.93) than among Black/African American women (HR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.68-1.18). They found no apparent differences based on menopausal status, follow-up time, ER status or invasiveness.
Implications
The findings reveal a potential path for intervention among members of these racial and ethnic groups, according to the researchers.
“Because women who identify as members of these groups have lower vitamin D levels, on average, than non-Hispanic white women, they could potentially receive enhanced health benefits from interventions promoting vitamin D intake,” O’Brien said in the press release. “However, questions remain about whether these associations are truly causal and, if so, what levels of vitamin D are most beneficial.”
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