The lack of vitamin D can cause breast cancer tumors to grow and spread rapidly, according to a new study. Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the risk for the most aggressive form of breast cancers.
Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D was originally thought to be produced by the skin cells as a result of sun exposure. It can also be found in certain foods such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, eggs, breakfast cereals and fortified fat spreads.
Despite being an essential vitamin, it is estimated that 75 percent of people have vitamin D deficiency, Huffington Post reported. In addition, women who have breast cancer should pay attention to their vitamin D levels due to the most current results that link vitamin D to breast cancer. Newer studies have also shown a connection between vitamin D deficiency and breast cancer recurrence and shortened survival rates.
A study of 34 breast cancer patients revealed a direct link between vitamin D levels and the expression of a gene known as ID1. The gene has been linked to tumor growth and breast cancer metastasis, according to Daily Mail.
Women with lower levels of the sunshine vitamin had more ID1 compared to those with higher levels of the vitamin. The study, conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine, confirmed that a vitamin D metabolite could directly control the ID1 gene in a human breast cancer cell line.
"Although much more research needs to be done, our labs and others suggests that people at risk for breast cancer should know their vitamin D levels and take steps to correct any deficiencies," according to Dr. Brian Feldman, assistant professor of pediatrics. The study also showed that the inability of tumor cells to respond appropriately to the presence of vitamin D is enough to trigger non-metastatic cells to become metastatic.
Published in Endocrinology, the study added to former research claiming that vitamin D deficiency increases a person's risk of developing breast cancer, worsens prognoses and is correlated with aggressive tumors. In a similar study, breast cancer patients with the highest levels of vitamin D had a lower death rate of 44 percent.
