Vitamin D Supplementation During Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer Improves Pathological Complete Response:...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Clinical Research
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) is a biomarker for improved survival in breast cancer.
• Vitamin D has demonstrated antitumor effects in preclinical cancer models.
• Investigating vitamin D's role in NST is crucial for optimizing breast cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the impact of oral vitamin D supplementation on pCR rates in breast cancer patients undergoing NST.
• To identify factors influencing pCR in the context of vitamin D supplementation during NST.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized clinical study involving 227 breast cancer patients.
• The study group received weekly 50,000 IU oral vitamin D3 supplementation during NST.
• The control group did not receive vitamin D supplementation.

Main Results:

• Multivariate analysis revealed vitamin D intake (OR: 2.33), hormone receptor negativity (OR: 2.22), and high Ki-67 expression (OR: 3.27) as significant predictors of pCR.
• Vitamin D supplementation was independently associated with a higher likelihood of achieving pCR.

Conclusions:

• Oral vitamin D supplementation during NST significantly enhances pCR in breast cancer patients.
• This is the first study to demonstrate a significant effect of vitamin D on pCR during NST.
• While not statistically significant for axillary pCR, a trend towards improvement was observed.