Vitamin D may play a crucial role in breast cancer prevention, and new technology may be behind the boom in radical mastectomies.

These are just some of the headlines from the upcoming meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Vitamin D is normally associated with strong bones, but new research indicates it may also play a crucial role in breast cancer... particularly among women who can't get enough of the vitamin from the sun.

The study of 500 women with the disease found three-quarters had a vitamin D deficiency upon diagnosis, and that deficit appeared to increase the risk of the cancer spreading and death significantly.

Experts say while adequate levels of vitamin d are important, don't stock up on the supplement just yet.

A separate study from the mayo clinic finds mastectomy rates are up 13% among women with early stage breast cancer.

The use of new MRI technology may have played a role because the machines can detect more breast abnormalities than mammograms.

The study showed more than half of patients who had an MRI also had a mastectomy, while just under 40% without the scan had the surgery.

Identifying previously unseen cancers is a good thing, but studies have yet to prove mastectomy is the new gold standard.

The studies stir more questions than answers, but researchers say the more data they can use to help women beat the disease... the better.