Abstract

Background: Women with BC are at increased risk for the development of osteoporosis and skeletal fractures. We investigated the effect of CAF chemotherapy alone and adjunct to vitamin D treatment on biochemical markers of bone formation and on segmental and total bone mineral density (BMD) for non-metastatic breast cancer (NMBC) postmenopausal women who had gone through a mastectomy.

Methods: The study population was comprised of 200 NMBC women who were divided into two equal groups; before and after treatment with CAF chemotherapy alone and before and after treatment with CAF+Vitamin D treatment protocols. Other 100 healthy participants served as the Control group. All participant women were subjected to blood biochemical analysis and segmental and total BMD measurements using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry technique.

Results: We found that CAF chemotherapy alone had no effect on women’s body weight, BMI, tumor marker CA15-3, PTH, ALP and Ca levels as compared to the initial state, while CAF+Vitamin D adjunct treatment caused significant reductions in their levels as compared to the initial state and Healthy Controls. We found also that CAF chemotherapy alone had no effect on plasma levels of P and Vitamin D as compared to initial state yet, CAF+Vitamin D adjunct treatment caused significant elevations in their levels as compared to the initial state and Healthy Controls.

Conclusions: Vitamin D may decrease the risk of BC recurrence by decreasing risk factors like body weight and serum levels of CA15-3, PTH, ALP, and Ca, thus increasing segmental and total BMD and decreasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Keywords: Vitamin D, Chemotherapy, Breast Cancer, Bone Mineral Density, Osteoporosis, Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry