Study Suggests Vitamin D May Help Fight Breast Cancer

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Women with early stage breast cancer had higher levels of vitamin D and lower levels of parathyroid hormone than women with advanced disease. Calcium levels were similar.

The exact reason for the disparities isn't clear, the study authors stated. Nor is it clear that there's a cause-and-effect relationship between the presence of vitamin D and cancer prognosis.

"Our study showed an association," Palmieri said. "In other words, women with advanced breast cancer had lower vitamin D, and the question is whether this is cause or effect."

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Still, Palmieri said, the findings should be viewed in the context of all the other available data on vitamin D -- data that seem to support the hypothesis that vitamin D is somehow involved in breast cancer.

"Our data lends weight to the hypothesis that vitamin D has a role in the pathogenesis and progression of breast cancer," he said.

One next step for researchers, Palmieri said, would be to see if maintaining normal levels of vitamin D -- by taking supplements -- in women diagnosed with early or advanced breast cancer improved their outcomes, when used in conjunction with the latest therapies.

More information

Visit the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov ) for more on breast cancer.

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