Supplemental Table 1 Basic information of studies entered the meta-analysis.
Reference
Country
( continent
of study)
Cases/controls
or cohort size
Baseline information
Vitamins
Plasma/serum
Vitamins
OR/ RR (95%CI) or mean ± SD
Adjustment factors
Case Control Studies-Hospital Based (26)
Abiaka C (2001)
Aghvami T (2006)
Kuwait
(Asia)
Iran (Asia)
Al-Saleh I (2002)
Saudi
Arabia
(Asia)
Badid N (2010)
Algeria
(Africa)
28/58
Amiri and Adan Hospitals;
Recruitment: no reported;
Age: unspecified;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer.
50/50
Imam Khomeini Hospital;
Recruitment: no reported;
Age: 30-68 years;
Menopause status: all;
Stage I, II and III breast cancer.
108/134
King Faisal specialiat Hospital;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 22-81 years;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer.
38/50
Telmcen Hospital; private
clinic for surgery;
Recruitment: 2006-2007;
—
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
(mean  SE)
Vitamin C
(mg/dl)
breast cancer
v.s. control
Vitamin E
(μg/ml)
breast cancer
v.s. control
α-tocopherol
(μg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
Vitamin A
(μmol/l)
Vitamin C
breast cancer
v.s. control
16.8  1.00 v.s. 17.7  0.9
1.76  0.47 v.s. 1.57  0.45 all
0.89  0.36 v.s. 0.83  0.26 pre
0.78  0.41 v.s. 0.99  0.34 post
12.28  3.06 v.s. 13.56  3.23 all
11.47  2.76 v.s. 12.19  2.05 pre
13.24  3.17 v.s. 15.98  3.53 post
2.82  3.06 v.s. 4.64  3.08
14.58  2.37 v.s. 16.70  2.45
15.00  3.15 v.s. 38.58  6.43
—
Canada
(America)
Basu TK (1989)
30/30
Ching S (2002)
Australia
(Australia)
153/150
Chitkara N (1996)
India (Asia)
75/50
Argentina
(Europe)
15/11
De Cavanagh
(2002)
EMV
Age: 35-45 years;
Overweight women;
Menopause status: pre;
Stage II and III breast cancer.
National Cancer Institute;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: mean: 55.2 years;
Menopause status: all;
advanced breast cancer.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital;
Recruitment: 1992-1994;
Age: 30-84 years;
Menopause status: pre and
post;
Stage T1, N0, N1 or N2
without metastasis breast
cancer
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 20-70 years;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer
The British and I. Iriarte
Hospital;
Recruitment: Unspecified;
Age: 41-55 years;
Menopause status: pre;
(μmol/l)
Vitamin E
(μmol/l)
13.73  1.38 v.s. 24.55  2.13
Vitamin A
(μg/dl)
68.0  5.3 v.s. 74.7  6.0
Vitamin E
(mg/dl)
breast cancer
v.s. control
0.81  0.08 v.s. 0.91  0.08
Retinol (μmol/l)
≥2.5 v.s.
≤1.9
0.53 (0.28, 1.01)
Vitamin E
(μg/ml)
breast cancer
v.s. control
1.70  0.15 v.s. 4.54  0.17
breast cancer
v.s. control
4.7  1.4 v.s. 20.8  2.2
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
—
Age at menarche,
parity, alcohol
intake and total fat
intake
Gerber M (1988)
Gerber M (1989)
Italy and
France
(Europe)
France
(Europe)
210/209 Milan
96/105
Montpellier
120/109
Gerber M (1991)
France
(Europe)
48/50
Hou MF (1998)
Taiwan
106/40
Stage IIIA, IIIB, and IV or with
ductal breast cancer
The French case-control study;
Recruitment: 1982-1986;
Age: 25-65 years;
Menopause status: all;
Stage T1, N0, N1 or N2
without
metastasis
breast
cancer
The French case-control study;
Recruitment: 1982-1986;
Age: 25-65 years;
Menopause status: pre and post
Stage T1, N0, N1 or N2
without
metastasis
breast
cancer
The last cases and controls in
French case-control study;
in Languedoc-Roussillon;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 25-65 years;
Menopause status: all;
Stage T1, N0, N1 or N2
without
metastasis
breast
cancer.
Kaohsiung Medical College
Vitamin E
(mg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
12.0  3.13 v.s. 10.9  2.67 Milan
12.40  2.9 v.s. 11.4  2.7
Montpellier
Retinol (μg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
549  127.2 v.s. 587  133.8
Montpellier
—
—
Vitamin E
(mg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
12.50  3.6 v.s. 10.3  1.9 pre
13.80  3.1 v.s. 21.3  2.6 post
—
Vitamin C
(mg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
7.82  3.89 v.s. 6.97  3.86
Vitamin A
breast cancer
140.50  65.70 v.s. 144.00  30.30
(Asia)
Ito Y (1999)
India (Asia)
206/150
Hospital in Taiwan;
Recruitment: 1995-1996;
Age: 30-70 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer
Cancer Institute (W.I.A.);
Recruitment: 1992-1993;
Age: 22-80 years;
Menopause status: all; pre- and
postmenopausal;
All stage breast cancer
(μg/dl)
v.s. control
1.66  0.54 v.s. 1.50  0.65
Retinol (μmol/l)
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
α-tocopherol
(μg/ml)
breast cancer
v.s. control
breast cancer
v.s. control
(mean  SEM)
Kim MK (2001)
Korea
(Asia)
160/229
16.75  5.29 v.s. 15.41  5.20
7.63  0.42 v.s. 11.0  0.73 all
6.95  0.47 v.s. 10.3  0.56 pre
≥13.50 v.s.
<4.95
0.41 (0.18-0.93)
8.90  0.81 v.s. 14.8  3.37 post
Asian Medical center;
Recruitment: 1994-1995;
Age: less than 80 years;
Menopause status: all
Unspecified breast cancer.
≥15.0 v.s.
<5.00
breast cancer
v.s. control
0.13 (0.03-0.66)
49.0  4.10 v.s. 64.6  1.95
48.0  6.11 v.s. 64.2  2.00
51.0  2.86 v.s. 66.5  6.13
Retinol (μg/dl)
—
≥0.20 v.s.
<0.08
1.03 (0.32-3.33)
≥1.57 v.s.
<0.89
0.14 (0.03-0.58)
Age; BMI; smoking;
alcohol drinking;
Kim MK (2002)
Kim MK (2010)
London SJ (1992)
Korea
(Asia)
Korea
(Asia)
USA
(America)
92/122
376/304
377/403
Asian Medical center;
Recruitment: 1993-1994;
Age: less than 80 years;
Menopause status: all
Unspecified breast cancer.
Age: 58-69 years;
Menopause status: post;
Stage I or II breast cancer.
18.1  12.4 v.s. 27.2  18.1
≥31.4 v.s.
<17
0.32 (0.09-1.19)
Retinol (μg/dl)
79.7-134 v.s.
23.8-49.1
0.145 (0.077-0.271)
α-tocopherol
(μg/dl)
γ-tocopherol
(μg/dl)
1554-4063
v.s. 335-946
410-964 v.s.
46.3-213
Retinol (μmol/l)
2.7 v.s. 1.47
1.0 (0.6-1.7)
48 v.s. 22
0.8 (0.5-1.2)
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
Asian Medical center;
Recruitment: 2006-2007;
Age: less than 80 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer.
Five teaching hospitals
Boston;
Recruitment: 1986-1988;
breast cancer
v.s. control
2.342 (1.345-4.078)
1.908 (1.107-3.287)
in
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
Age; BMI; weight;
alcohol; smoking;
menopausal status;
age at 1st full-term
pregnancy;
serum
low-density
lipoprotein
cholesterol; fruit and
vegetable
consumption
Age; BMI;
menopause; parity;
oral contraceptive;
smoking status;
alcohol consumption
status
Age; alcohol intake;
age at first birth;
family history of
breast cancer; age at
menopause; age at
menarche; body
weight; prior history
of BBD; serum lipid
Marubini E (1988)
Potischman N (1990)
Ramaswamy G (1996)
Italy
(Europe)
USA
(America)
India (Asia)
210/209
81/101
100/50
National Tumor Institute of
Milan;
Recruitment: 1982-1985;
Age: 30-65 years;
Menopause status: all
Stage I-II breast cancer
Roswell
Park
Memorial
Institute; Two private surgeons;
Recruitment: 1985-1986;
Age: 30-80 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer.
Kidwai Memorial Institute of
Oncology in Bangalore;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 30-65 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer.
Retinol (μg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
556.78  133.79 v.s.
530.06  144.36
Fifth v.s.
lowest
2.0 (1.0-4.0)
breast cancer
v.s. control
1.95  0.62 v.s. 1.93  0.44
Q4 v.s. Q1
0.94 (0.27-3.23)
Retinol (μmol/l)
38.10  13.1 v.s. 39.8  12.2 stage I
Vitamin A
(μg/dl)
breast cancer
v.s. control
30.60  11.5 v.s. 39.8  12.2 stage
II
26.40  12.4 v.s. 39.8  12.2 stage
III
26.10  11.8 v.s. 39.8  12.2 stage
Age; age at
menarche; age at
first birth; parity;
age at menopause;
Quetelet index;
family history of
breast cancer;
education;
cholesterol;
triglyceride blood
level
Age; age at first
birth; family history;
age at menarche;
Quetelet index;
parity; age at
menopause; income;
marital status; lipids
include cholesterol
and triglyceride;
—
IV
1.00  0.3 v.s. 1.98  0.5 stage I
Vitamin C
(mg/dl)
breast cancer
v.s. control
0.80  0.2 v.s. 1.98  0.5 stage II
0.40  0.1 v.s. 1.98  0.5 stage III
0.30  0.1 v.s. 1.98  0.5 stage IV
Ray G (2001)
Schrijver J (1987)
Shah FD (2009)
Simon MS (2000)
India
(Africa)
The
Netherlands
(Europe)
India (Asia)
USA
(America)
54/42
11/16
125/70
27/29
Sucheta Kripalini Hospital;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 24-70 years;
Menopause status: all (pre- and
post-)
Stage II, III and IV breast
cancer
Recruitment: July-December
1982;
Age: 41-80 years;
Menopause status: post;
Advanced breast cancer.
GCRI;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 25-82 years;
Menopause status: all;
Stage II, III and IV breast
cancer.
A pilot case-control study;
Recruitment: July, 15, 1994December, 1, 1994;
—
Vitamin A
(μmol/l)
Mean  SEM
Vitamin C
(μmol/l)
Vitamin E
(μmol/l)
Vitamin A
(μmol/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
1.94  0.06 v.s. 1.88  0.07
breast cancer
v.s. control
breast cancer
v.s. control
Breast cancer
v.s. control
155.0  5.67 v.s. 186.3  9.08
α-tocopherol
(nmol/l)
Breast cancer
v.s. control
23.8  6.8 v.s. 30.3  6.5
Vitamin A
(mg/l)
Vitamin E
(mg/l)
Vitamin C
(mg/l)
Breast cancer
v.s. control
Breast cancer
v.s. control
Breast cancer
v.s. control
1.41  0.08 v.s. 0.53  0.04
Retinol (μmol/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
24.87  0.72 v.s. 28.3  0.05
1.00  0.41 v.s. 1.79  0.38
12.6  1.03 v.s. 15.1  1.22
1.90  0.10 v.s. 3.54  0.36
2.37  0.73 v.s. 1.98  0.49
African-American
2.16  0.61 v.s. 2.05  0.61
—
Age: mean: 59 years;
Menopause status: all;
Invasive breast cancer.
Caucasian
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
γ-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
Torun M (1995)
Torun M (1995)
Turkey
(Asia)
Turkey
(Asia)
100/70
25/156
Unspecified Case-control;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: unspecified;
Menopause status: all (pre- and
post-);
Unspecified breast cancer
Unspecified Case-control;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: unspecified;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer
≤1.59 v.s. ≥
2.60
0.87 (0.14, 5.72)
breast cancer
v.s. control
31.20  15.52 v.s. 23.47  7.66
African-American
34.98  15.99 v.s. 38.76  16.45
Caucasian
≤20.52 v.s.
≥35.00
0.76 (0.10, 5.75)
breast cancer
v.s. control
5.74  2.54 v.s. 4.90  3.25
African-American
5.09  3.59 v.s. 3.76  3.99
Caucasian
≤2.12 v.s. ≥
7.57
0.31 (0.04, 1.93)
0.44  0.21 v.s. 1.108  0.27 all
Vitamin E
(mg/100ml)
breast cancer
v.s. control
—
0.43  0.19 v.s. 1.11  0.24 pre
0.45  0.11 v.s. 1.11  0.31 post
—
Vitamin C
(mg/dl)
breast cancer
v.s. control
0.50  0.43 v.s. 0.80  0.35
Case-Control Studies-Population Based (2)
Suzana S (2008)
Zaroukian S (2005)
Malaysia
(Asia)
Canada
(America)
57/139
223/85
Klang Valley and Selangor,
Malaysia;
Recruitment: unspecified;
Age: 30-66 y;
Menopause status: all;
Stage I-III breast cancer.
Four teaching hospitals
CHUM;
Recruitment: 1989-1993;
Age: 35-79 years;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer.
of
Vitamin E
(mg/dl)
Vitamin A (μg/l)
Retinol
(μmol/l)
Tocopherol
(μmol/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
2.8-3.18 v.s.
<2.5
breast cancer
v.s. control
>564
v.s.<284.3
breast cancer
v.s. control
377.6  417 v.s. 431.5  264.2
Q3 v.s. Q1
0.67 (0.35-1.28)
breast cancer
v.s. control
18. 35  6.90 v.s. 18.59  5.77
Q3 v.s. Q1
0.85 (0.45-1.59)
≥0.73 v.s.
<0.52
1.17 (0.77-1.78)
≥13.22 v.s.
<9.36
1.07 (0.67-1.71)
≥10.32 v.s.
<7.11
1.15 (0.72-1.85)
1.45-1.89 v.s.
<1.45
1.01 (0.68-1.46)
3.3  3.9 v.s. 4.0  2.7
2.76 (1.43-5.33)
No adjustment
factors
2.32 (1.18-4.57)
1.86  0.87 v.s. 1.97  0.69
Age; age at first full
term pregnancy;
history of cancer in
first-degree
relatives;
Nested case-control studies (13)
Retinol (mg/l)
Dorjgochoo T (2009)
China
(Asia)
365/726
SWHS;
Recruitment: 1997–2000;
Age: 40-70 years;
Menopause status:
all (pre- and post-);
Unspecified breast cancer.
Total
tocopherols
(mg/l)
α-tocopherols
(mg/l)
β/γ
-tocopherols
(mg/l)
Age at entry;
education;
occupation; age at
menarche; age at 1st
live birth; waist to
hips ratio; exercised
regularly in past 5
years; ever smoke;
menopausal status;
history of breast
Dorgan JF (1998)
Epplein M (2009)
USA
(America)
USA
(mixed)
105/203
286/535
US National Cancer Institute;
Recruitment: 1977-1987;
Age: median: 61.6 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer.
Multiethnic Cohort study;
Recruitment: 2001–2006;
Age: 45-75 years;
Menopause status: post;
Unspecified breast cancer.
Retinol (μmol/l)
2.31-3.32 v.s.
<1.67
0.9 (0.4-2.0)
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
31.33-107.69
v.s. <21.59
1.2 (0.5-2.8)
Retinol (ng/ml)
Total-tocopherol
s (ng/ml)
α-tocopherols
(ng/ml)
≥1188.0 v.s.
≤842.6
≥23282.4 v.s.
≤14413.3
≥21829.9 v.s.
≤11828.1
1.13 (0.73-1.76)
0.86 (0.56-1.31)
0.80 (0.52-1.24)
fibroadenoma; 1st
degree family
history cancer; total
energy; vegetables;
fruits; red meat and
fish; regular tea
consumption, batch
for assays; other
plasma lipophilic
antioxidants
Age; BMI; benign
breast disease
diagnosis during
prior 2 years; month
and year of blood
collection; total
serum cholesterol
concentration, packs
of cigarettes
smoked/day.
BMI; alcohol use;
age at menarche;
age at menopause;
age at first birth;
number of full-term
pregancies; age at
blood draw
Hulten K (2001)
Sweden
(Europe)
201/390
Recruitment: VIP, MONICA,
MSP;
Age: VIP+MONICA median:
52 years, MSP median: 59
years;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer.
β/γ
-tocopherols
(ng/ml)
≥2175.3 v.s.
≤619.0
1.40 (0.86-2.27)
Retinol (μmol/l)
Forth v.s.
lowest
1.0 (0.6-1.8)
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
Forth v.s.
lowest
1.3 (0.6-2.7)
Retinol (μg/ml)
Kabat GC (2009)
USA
(America)
190/5260
Women’s Health Initiative
clinical trials (WHI);
Recruitment: 1993-1998;
Age: 50-79 years;
Menopause status: post;
In situ and invasive breast
cancer.
α-tocopherol
(μg/ml)
γ-tocopherol
(μg/ml)
Breast cancer
v.s. control
≥0.65 v.s.
<0.53
Breast cancer
v.s. control
≥17.23 v.s.
<12.36
Breast cancer
v.s. control
16.79  7.38 v.s. 16.60  7.72
≥2.55 v.s.
<1.30
1.26 (0.85-1.88)
0.61  0.15 v.s. 0.60  0.16
1.00 (0.68-1.48)
0.92 (0.62-1.36)
2.16  1.28 v.s. 2.11  1.43
BMI; plasma total
cholesterol and
triglycerides
Age; education;
ethnicity; BMI; oral
contraceptive use;
hormone therapy;
age at menarche;
age at first birth; age
menopause; alcohol;
family history of
breast cancer;
history of breast
biopsy; physical
activity; energy
intake;
randomization status
in hormone therapy;
Knekt P (1988)
Finland
(Europe)
67/123
Knekt P (1990)
Finland
(Europe)
52/93
Maillard V (2010)
French
(European)
366/720
Social Insurance Institution’s
Mobile Clinic Health
Examination Survey;
Recruitment: 1968-1972;
Age: 15-99 years;
Menopause status: all;
unspecified breast cancer.
Social Insurance Institution’s
Mobile Clinic Health
Examination Survey;
Recruitment: 1968-1977;
Age: 15-99 years;
Menopause status: all;
unspecified breast cancer.
E3N-EPIC study;
Recruitment: 1989-1991;
Age: 40-65 years;
Menopause status: all
Invasive breast cancer
calcium plus vitamin
D; and dietary
modification trials.
Smoking and
cholesterol
Vitamin E
(mg/l)
>12.51 v.s.
≤7.90
0.88 (0.32-2.39)
Retinol (μg /l)
>710.0 v.s.
≤490.0
1.20 (0.50-2.70)
No adjustment
Breast cancer
v.s. control
The fifth v.s.
lowest
Breast cancer
v.s. control
The fifth v.s.
lowest
1.87  0.4 v.s. 1.89  0.4
Breast cancer
1.87  0.4 v.s. 1.89  0.4
Alcohol; Height;
Education level;
menopausal
hormone use; age at
first birth and parity;
family history of
breast cancer;
history of benign
breast disease.
Retinol
(μmol/l)
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
γ-tocopherol
0.85 (0.53-1.35)
1.87  0.4 v.s. 1.89  0.4
0.70 (0.44-1.13)
Russell MJ (1988)
Sato R (2002)
England
(Europe)
USA
(America)
30/288
244/244 (1974
cohort)
115/115 (1989
cohort)
Volunteer women in Guernsey;
Recruitment: 1977-1985;
Age: 26-88 years;
Menopause status: all;
Unspecified breast cancer.
Washington County;
Recruitment: 1974 and 1989
cohort;
Age: 43-70 years;
Menopause status: all;
In situ and invasive breast
cancer.
(μmol/l)
v.s. control
total-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
Vitamin A
(μg/l)
The fifth v.s.
lowest
Breast cancer
v.s. control
The fifth v.s.
lowest
breast cancer
v.s. control
Vitamin E
(mg/l)
breast cancer
v.s. control
Retinol (μg/dl)
1974 cohort
1989 cohort
≥73.0 v.s.
<46.2
≥73.8 v.s.
<50.4
α-tocopherol
(mg/dl)
1974 cohort
≥1.40 v.s.
<0.91
1989 cohort
γ-tocopherol
(mg/dl)
1974 cohort
1989 cohort
≥1.65 v.s.
<0.99
≥0.32 v.s.
<0.15
≥0.34 v.s.
<0.13
0.94 (0.59-1.48)
1.87  0.4 v.s. 1.89  0.4
0.68 (0.41-1.10)
549  128 v.s. 533  131
6.5  2.4 v.s. 6.2  2.1
0.97 (0.53-1.80)
1.03 (0.40-2.64)
0.94 (0.52-1.73)
0.67 (0.28-1.62)
0.70 (0.40-1.23)
0.80 (0.33-1.93)
—
Tamimi RM (2005)
Toniolo P (2001)
USA
(America)
USA
969/969
270/270
“—”: T test, no adjustment reported.
Nurses’ Health Study;
Recruitment: 1989–1990;
Age: 43-70 years;
Menopause status: all;
In situ and invasive breast
cancer.
Women’s Health Study;
Recruitment: 1985-1994;
Age: 35-65 years;
Menopause status: all;
All stage breast cancer.
α-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
46.94 v.s.
16.42
0.79 (0.57-1.08)
γ-tocopherol
(μmol/l)
7.72 v.s. 1.90
0.96 (0.71-1.30)
breast cancer
v.s. control
56.9  13.5 v.s. 56.0  13.8
Low v.s. high
0.78 (0.45-1.35)
Retinol (μg/dl)
Age; menopause
postmenopausal
hormone use;month;
time of day; fasting
at blood collection;
age at menopause;
BMI at 18; weight
gain since 18y; age
at menarche; history
of benign breast
disease; history of
breast cancer in a
mother or sister; age
at first birth/parity;
alcohol consumption
Age at first full-term
pregnancy; family
history of breast
cancer; history of
benign breast
disease and total
cholesterol