Vitamin D and estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer in Bulgaria

Abstract Background and aims  Different epidemiological studies report the protective effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) exerted by vitamin D3 intake, estrogen replacement therapy, and increase of the risk of microsatellite instability (MSI) in CRC by withdrawal of estrogens. The aim of our study was to search for association between CRC and polymorphisms in estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) and Vitamin D receptor (VDR) genes.