Vitamin D and Mammographic Findings

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Vitamin D's immune-modulatory and anti-proliferative properties have spurred interest in its role in cancer prevention.
• Mammographic density is a known breast cancer risk factor, with complex associations with serum vitamin D levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between serum 25-OH-vitamin D levels and breast cancer risk.
• To assess vitamin D status in women undergoing mammography and explore its association with mammographic density and breast cancer diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1103 participants at a breast diagnostic unit.
• Data collected via standardized questionnaires and serum 25-OH-vitamin D measurements on the day of mammography.
• Histologic results of biopsies from suspicious mammographies were documented.

Main Results:

• Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent, particularly in women under 40, with average levels below 20 ng/ml across all age groups.
• Only 5.7% of participants had sufficient vitamin D (>30 ng/ml); 15.6% had very low levels (<10 ng/ml).
• No significant differences in vitamin D levels were found between mammographic density groups (ACR criteria).

Conclusions:

• Serum vitamin D levels in the study population were lower than in comparable US women.
• The study found no direct clinical evidence to support a relationship between specific vitamin D values and breast cancer risk.