The effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of breast cancer: a trial sequential meta-analysis
- 13 May 2020
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
- Vol. 182 (1), 1-8
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05669-4
Abstract
Background and objective Observational studies suggest an inverse association between circulating vitamin D levels and risk of breast cancer. However, the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation to reduce the risk of breast cancer remain controversial, based on the results of current randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of vitamin D supplementation on breast cancer prevention. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched from inception to February 2020. We performed a trial sequential meta-analysis of RCTs reporting the effect of vitamin D supplementation, with or without calcium, on the risk of breast cancer. The effect was estimated using a relative risk reduction threshold of 30%. Results Eight trials comprising 72,275 participants were included in this study, with a median follow-up period ranging from 1 to 11.9 years. The median dosage of vitamin D supplementation was 967 IU per day (range 400–3704 IU per day) across the trials. This study yielded a relative risk of 1.04 (95% CI 0.85–1.29, P = 0.68) for the effect of vitamin D supplementation (6 trials, 33,472 participants), and 0.99 (95% CI 0.91–1.07, P = 0.73) for co-administration of vitamin D and calcium (4 trials, 41,957 participants). The effect estimate for vitamin D with or without calcium on breast cancer risk lay within the futility boundary, indicating that vitamin D supplementation does not alter the relative risk by 30% or more. Conclusion Our analyses suggest that vitamin D supplementation, with or without calcium, does not reduce breast cancer risk by 30% or more. Future trials with similar designs are unlikely to alter this finding.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (81802642)
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- Vitamin D intake, blood 25(OH)D levels, and breast cancer risk or mortality: a meta-analysisBritish Journal of Cancer, 2014
- Dose response to vitamin D supplementation in African Americans: results of a 4-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled trialThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014
- Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation in Postmenopausal WomenJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2013
- Vitamin D Supplementation and Breast Cancer Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical TrialsPLOS ONE, 2013
- Recruitment and Results of a Pilot Trial of Vitamin D Supplementation in the General Population of AustraliaJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2012
- Effects of three-monthly oral 150,000 IU cholecalciferol supplementation on falls, mobility, and muscle strength in older postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trialJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2012
- Meta-analysis: Serum vitamin D and breast cancer riskEuropean Journal of Cancer, 2010
- A randomized controlled trial of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and risk of benign proliferative breast diseaseBreast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2008
- Trial sequential analysis reveals insufficient information size and potentially false positive results in many meta-analysesJournal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2008
- Vitamin D DeficiencyThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2007