Attached
B ackground: Vitamin D is believed to be
associated with reduced breast cancer (BC) risk •
due to anti proliferative and pro differentiation
activities. Vitamin D level of >50ng/ml is reported) to lower the BC risk by 50%. This study compared
vitamin D status and animal protein intake of BC
women with healthy females.
Methods: Newly diagnosed BC patients from
National Cancer Institute, Maharagama (n=l 50)
and age matched apparently healthy females
(n=75) were enrolled. Data on frequency of
consumption of animal protein was recorded using
an interviewer administered questionnaire. Serum
vitamin D status was measured with mini vidas
immuneanalyser using an enzyme immunoassay
competition method with final fluorescent
detection.
Results and Discussion: Consumption of meat,
fish, egg and dairy products was not significantly
different (p>0.05) among BC patients and healthy
females. Majority of BC patients and healthy
females (> 95%) were not consuming chicken,
beef or pork >3times a week. BC patients (44%)
and 40% of healthy women consumed fish >3times
a week. However egg consumption >3 times a week
was rare (13%) among both groups. Majority of BC
women (90%), and healthy women (63%)
consumed full cream milk> 3 times a week. Only
6% among both groups consumed cheese >3 times
per week. None of the women were not on any
other supplements.
Mean vitamin D concentration of BC women
(20.5+5.5 ng/mL) was not significantly different
(p>0.05) when compared to healthy women (20.2
±4.3 ng/mL). Half of BC women and healthy females
were vitamin D deficient (< 20 ng/mL). Only 3% of BC
women and none of healthy women had vitamin D
above 30ng/mL.
Conclusion: Serum vitamin D status of breast cancer
and apparently healthy women was considerably low
among the study sample. This could be due to low consumption of foods rich in vitamin D by both
groups. Thus preventive measures are needed to be
taken in order to lower the risk associated with low
vitamin D status among both BCand healthy women.
