title: Vitamin D levels in patients with breast cancer: importance of dressing style.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency is a potentially modifiable risk factor that may be targeted for breast cancer (BC) prevention. It may also be related to prognosis after diagnosis and treatment. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency as measured by serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) levels in patients with BC and to evaluate its correlations with life-style and treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 186 patients with stage 0-III BC treated in our breast center between 2010-2013. The correlation between serum baseline 25-OHD levels and supplement usage, age, menopausal status, diabetes mellitus, usage of bisphosphonates, body-mass index (BMI), season, dressing style, administration of systemic treatments and radiotherapy were investigated. The distribution of serum 25-OHD levels was categorized as deficient (<10ng/ ml), insufficient (10-24 ng/ml), and sufficient (25-80 ng/ml).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the patients was 51 years (range: 27-79 years) and 70% of them had deficient/insufficient 25-OHD levels. On univariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency was more common in patients with none or low dose vitamin D supplementation at the baseline, high BMI (≥25), no bisphosphonate usage, and a conservative dressing style. On multivariate analysis, none or low dose vitamin D supplementation, and decreased sun-exposure due to a conservative dressing style were found as independent factors increasing risk of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency 28.7 (p=0.002) and 13.4 (p=0.003) fold, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of serum 25-OHD deficiency/insufficiency is high in our BC survivors. Vitamin D status should be routinely evaluated for all women, especially those with a conservative dressing style, as part of regular preventive care, and they should take supplemental vitamin D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Gayrettepe Florence Nightingale Hospital, stanbul, Turkey E-mail : gulalco@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alco
authors.forename: Sefik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igdem
authors.forename: Maktav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dincer
authors.forename: Vahit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.forename: Sezer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selamoglu
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: Cetin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ordu
authors.forename: Kezban Nur
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Pilanci
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozdogan
authors.forename: Sedef
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yenice
authors.forename: Coskun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tecimer
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Gulistan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koksal
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okkan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004164:Diphosphonates; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D014807:Vitamin D