The Cardioprotective Effect of Vitamin D in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Doxorubicin Based Chemotherapy

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the potential protective effect of Vitamin D (Vit D) on DOX induced cardio toxicity (DIC) in early breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant DOX based chemotherapy (AC). The secondary objective was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Vit D by measuring serum IL-6 and its correlation with cardio toxicity.

Methods: This study was carried out on 150 newly diagnosed women with breast cancer who were planned to receive four cycles of adjuvant AC chemotherapy regimen (60 mg/m DOX and 600 mg/m cyclophosphamide) every 21 days. Study patients were randomized 1:1 into a control group treated with AC and a Vit D group treated with AC plus 0.5 µg of Vit D (Bon One 0.5 µg) orally once daily during the whole treatment course. The cardio protective effect of Vit D was assessed by measuring serum levels of Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and anti-inflammatory Interleukin 6 (IL-6) at baseline, and after 4 cycles of AC in all study patients.

Results: Vit D supplementation in Vit D group patients was associated with a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in serum levels of LDH, cTnT, and IL-6 compared to the control group .

Conclusion: The present work provides a promising clinical evidence to support the cardio protective effects of Vit D against DIC through attenuating the evoked pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by DOX.