Association Between One-carbon Metabolism-related Vitamins and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#breast #breast-neoplasms #case-control-studies #diet-surveys #female

Association Between One-carbon Metabolism-related Vitamins and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies

Zeng et al., 2020 | Clin Breast Cancer | Meta Analysis

Citation

Zeng Jie, Gu Yi, ... Chang Hui. Association Between One-carbon Metabolism-related Vitamins and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies. Clin Breast Cancer. 2020-Aug;20(4):e469-e480. doi:10.1016/j.clbc.2020.02.012

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies focusing on the association between 1-carbon metabolism-related vitamins (ie, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B12) and breast cancer risk have reported inconsistent findings. We conducted a systematic search of the reported data and performed a meta-analysis of prospective case-control and cohort studies to derive a more precise evaluation. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched to identify eligible studies. A total of 27 studies involving 49,707 cases and 1,274,060 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that a high intake of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B2 might decrease the risk of breast cancer. The corresponding pooled relative risks (RRs) for the highest intake compared with the lowest were 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88-0.99; P = .018), 0.94 (95% CI, 0.89-1.00; P = .037) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.82-0.99; P = .026). No significant association between vitamin B12 and breast cancer risk was found (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.94-1.04; P = .604). Further study showed that folate and vitamin B6 might decrease the risk of estrogen receptor-negative (ER-)/progesterone receptor-negative (PR-) breast cancer but not ER+/PR+ breast cancer. The dose-response meta-analysis indicated a significant linearity relationship between folate intake and a reduced risk of ER-/PR- breast cancer. An increment of folate intake (100 μg/d) corresponded to a 7% deceased risk of ER-/PR- breast cancer (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98; P = .007). In conclusion, a high intake of 1-carbon metabolism-related vitamins might contribute to the prevention of breast cancer, especially ER-/PR- breast cancer.

Key Findings

In conclusion, a high intake of 1-carbon metabolism-related vitamins might contribute to the prevention of breast cancer, especially ER-/PR- breast cancer.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 1274060
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Breast
  • Breast Neoplasms
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Diet Surveys
  • Female
  • Folic Acid
  • Humans
  • Prospective Studies
  • Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Riboflavin
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Vitamin B 12
  • Vitamin B 6

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-b6

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09