Skip to main content

Dietary vitamin B2 intake and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics volume 295, pages 721–729 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Epidemiological studies assessing the relationship between dietary vitamin B2 and the risk of breast cancer have produced inconsistent results. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies to evaluate this association.

Methods

We searched English-language MEDLINE publications and conducted a manual search to screen eligible articles. A random-effect model was used to pool study-specific risk estimates. Egger’s linear regression test was also used to detect publication bias in meta-analysis.

Results

In our meta-analysis, ten studies comprising totally 12,268 breast cancer patients were available in the analyses. Pooled relative risk (RR) comparing the highest to the lowest vitamin B2 intake and breast cancer incidence was 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76–0.95]. No significant heterogeneity existed across the studies (P = 0.086, I 2 = 40.7%). No publication bias was found. The results of dose–response analysis also showed that an increment of 1 mg/day was inversely related to the risk of breast cancer (RR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.90–0.99).

Conclusions

Results from our meta-analysis indicated that dietary vitamin B2 intake is weakly related to the reduced risk of breast cancer. Additional research is also necessary to further explore this association.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  1. Torre LA, Bray F, Siegel RL, Ferlay J, Lortet-Tieulent J, Jemal A (2015) Global cancer statistics, 2012. CA Cancer J Clin 65(2):87–108

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hulka BS, Moorman PG (2008) Breast cancer: hormones and other risk factors. Maturitas 61(1–2):203–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Narod SA (2011) Hormone replacement therapy and the risk of breast cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 8(11):669–676

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Xue F, Michels KB (2007) Intrauterine factors and risk of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current evidence. Lancet Oncol 8(12):1088–1100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Tirona MT, Sehgal R, Ballester O (2010) Prevention of breast cancer (part I): epidemiology, risk factors, and risk assessment tools. Cancer Investig 28(7):743–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Stevens VL, McCullough ML, Pavluck AL, Talbot JT, Feigelson HS et al (2007) Association of polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism genes and postmenopausal breast cancer incidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 16(6):1140–1147

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kim YI (2004) Folate and DNA methylation: a mechanistic link between folate deficiency and colorectal cancer? Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 13(4):511–519

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang YF, Shi WW, Gao HF, Zhou L, Hou AJ, Zhou YH (2014) Folate intake and the risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. PLoS One 9(6):e100044

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Larsson SC, Giovannucci E, Wolk A (2007) Folate and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis. J Natl Cancer Inst 99(1):64–76

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Liu Y, Yu QY, Zhu ZL, Tang PY, Li K (2015) Vitamin B2 intake and the risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 16(3):909–913

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Ann Intern Med 51(4):264–269 (W264)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wells GA, Shea B, O’Connell D, Peterson J, Welch V, Losos M et al (2012) The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of nonrandomised studies in meta-analyses. http://www.ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.asp. Accessed 26 Mar 2016

  13. DerSimonian R, Laird N (1986) Meta-analysis in clinical trials. Control Clin Trials 7(3):177–188

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Greenland S, Longnecker MP (1992) Methods for trend estimation from summarized dose-response data, with applications to meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 135(11):1301–1309

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Orsini N, Bellocco R, Greenland S (2006) Generalized least squares for trend estimation of summarized doseresponse data. Stata J 6:40–57

    Google Scholar 

  16. Higgins JPT, Thompson SG (2002) Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med 21(11):1539–1558

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Egger M, Davey Smith G, Schneider M, Minder C (1997) Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ 315(7109):629–634

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Cho E, Holmes M, Hankinson SE, Willett WC (2007) Nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 16(12):2787–2790

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Xu X, Gammon MD, Wetmur JG, Bradshaw PT, Teitelbaum SL, Neugut AI et al (2008) B-vitamin intake, one-carbon metabolism, and survival in a population-based study of women with breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 17(8):2109–2116

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Dorjgochoo T, Shrubsole MJ, Shu XO, Lu W, Ruan Z, Zheng Y et al (2008) Vitamin supplement use and risk for breast cancer: the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 111(2):269–278

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Stevens VL, McCullough ML, Sun J, Gapstur SM (2010) Folate and other one-carbon metabolism—related nutrients and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 91(6):1708–1715

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Maruti SS, Ulrich CM, Jupe ER, White E (2009) MTHFR C677T and postmenopausal breast cancer risk by intakes of one-carbon metabolism nutrients: a nested case-control study. Breast Cancer Res 11(6):R91

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Negri E, La Vecchia C, Franceschi S, D’Avanzo B, Talamini R, Parpinel M et al (1996) Intake of selected micronutrients and the risk of breast cancer. Int J Cancer 65(2):140–144

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Levi F, Pasche C, Lucchini F, La Vecchia C (2001) Dietary intake of selected micronutrients and breast-cancer risk. Int J Cancer 91(2):260–263

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Chen J, Gammon MD, Chan W, Palomeque C, Wetmur JG, Kabat GC et al (2005) One-carbon metabolism, MTHFR polymorphisms, and risk of breast cancer. Cancer Res 65(4):1606–1614

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kabat GC, Miller AB, Jain M, Rohan TE (2008) Dietary intake of selected B vitamins in relation to risk of major cancers in women. Br J Cancer 99(5):816–821

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Ma E, Iwasaki M, Kobayashi M, Kasuga Y, Yokoyama S, Onuma H et al (2009) Dietary intake of folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, genetic polymorphism of related enzymes, and risk of breast cancer: a case–control study in japan. Nutr Cancer 61(4):447–456

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Maruti SS, Ulrich CM, White E (2009) Folate and one-carbon metabolism nutrients from supplements and diet in relation to breast cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr 89(2):624–633

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Shrubsole MJ, Shu XO, Li HL, Cai H, Yang G, Gao YT et al (2011) Dietary B vitamin and methionine intakes and breast cancer risk among Chinese women. Am J Epidemiol 173(10):1171–1182

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Bassett JK, Baglietto L, Hodge AM, Severi G, Hopper JL, English DR et al (2013) Dietary intake of B vitamins and methionine and breast cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control 24(8):1555–1563

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Yang D, Baumgartner RN, Slattery ML, Wang C, Giuliano AR, Murtaugh MA et al (2013) Dietary intake of folate, B-vitamins and methionine and breast cancer risk among hispanic and non-hispanic white women. PLoS One 8(2):e54495

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Cancarini I, Krogh V, Agnoli C, Grioni S, Matullo G, Pala V et al (2015) Micronutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism and risk of breast cancer subtypes. PLoS One 10(9):e0138318

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Rivlin RS (1970) Riboflavin metabolism. N Engl J Med 283:463–472

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Powers HJ (2003) Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) and health. Am J Clin Nutr 77(6):1352–1360

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Changsha Hospital for Maternal and Child Health Care, Changsha, 410006, China

    Lanting Yu

  2. Departments of General Surgery, The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443003, China

    Yuyan Tan

  3. Departments of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital ZheJiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, 322000, China

    Lin Zhu

Authors
  1. Lanting Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuyan Tan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lin Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lanting Yu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Author Lanting Yu declares that he/she has no conflict of interest. Author Yuyan Tan Lin Zhu declares that he/she has no conflict of interest. Author Lin Zhu declares that he/she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yu, L., Tan, Y. & Zhu, L. Dietary vitamin B2 intake and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 295, 721–729 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-016-4278-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-016-4278-4

Keywords

  • Vitamin B2
  • Meta-analysis
  • Breast cancer
  • Risk