Vitamin D and variations in how women metabolize it, could play a role in Marin County's high breast cancer rate, suggests recent research. Kathie Dalessandri, a surgeon and research in Pt. Reyes Station, published a report this fall in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons linking breast cancer to a genetic variant in vitamin D receptors.

Post-menopausal women with this receptor variant, Dalessandri says, could be especially affected by low vitamin D levels.

Dalessandri is eager to see her results replicated in larger studies. Locally she's anticipating the Marin Women's Study, a breast cancer research study involving more than 14,000 Marin County women.

Vitamin image courtesy of Flickr user ckaiserca (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckaiserca/).