Calcium intake and genetic variants in the calcium sensing receptor in relation to colorectal cancer mortality: an international consortium study of 18,952 patients.

Background: Research on calcium intake as well as variants in the calcium sensor receptor ( gene and their interaction in relation to CRC survival is still limited.

Methods: Data from 18,952 CRC patients, were included. Associations between primarily pre-diagnostic dietary ( = 13.085), supplemental ( = 11,837), total calcium intake ( = 5970) as well as 325 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the gene ( = 15,734) in relation to CRC-specific and all-cause mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. Also interactions between calcium intake and variants in the gene were assessed.

Results: During a median follow-up of 4.8 years (IQR 2.4-8.4), 6801 deaths occurred, of which 4194 related to CRC. For all-cause mortality, no associations were observed for the highest compared to the lowest sex- and study-specific quartile of dietary (HR 1.00, 95%CI 0.92-1.09), supplemental (HR 0.97, 95%CI 0.89-1.06) and total calcium intake (HR 0.99, 95%CI 0.88-1.11). No associations with CRC-specific mortality were observed either. Interactions were observed between supplemental calcium intake and several SNPs of the gene.

Conclusion: Calcium intake was not associated with all-cause or CRC-specific mortality in CRC patients. The association between supplemental calcium intake and all-cause and CRC-specific mortality may be modified by genetic variants in the gene.