The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention.
Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF.
Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61. Epub 2005 Dec 27. Review.
PMID: 16380576
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.045260
Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk.
The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.
The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention.
Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF.
Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61. Epub 2005 Dec 27. Review.
PMID: 16380576
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.045260
Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk.
The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects
T-helper/T-regulator lymphocyte ratio as a new immunobiological index to quantify the anticancer immune status in cancer patients.
Brivio F, Fumagalli L, Parolini D, Messina G, Rovelli F, Rescaldani R, Vigore L, Vezzo R, Vaghi M, Di Bella S, Lissoni P.
In Vivo. 2008 Sep-Oct;22(5):647-50.
PMID: 18853761
RESULTS: The mean TH/TR ratio observed in patients with metasytases was significantly lower with respect to that found in both patients without metastases and controls. On the contrary, the absolute mean number of T-reg cells was higher in patients with metastases than in those without, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of T-reg cells in terms of their proportion with respect to T-helper cell total number seems to be more appropriate than the simple measurement of their absolute count, in order to quantify cancer-related immunosuppression. Thus, the TH/TR ratio could represent a useful biological marker to explore the immune status of cancer patients.
Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB, Hollis BW, Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC.
Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 5;98(7):451-9.
PMID: 16595781 [PubMed - indexed fo
Gorham ED, Garland CF, Garland FC, Grant WB, Mohr SB, Lipkin M, Newmark HL, Giovannucci E, Wei M, Holick MF.
Optimal vitamin D status for colorectal cancer prevention: a quantitative meta analysis.
Am J Prev Med. 2007 Mar;32(3):210-6.
PMID: 17296473 [
Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and cancer incidence and mortality in men.
Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Rimm EB, Hollis BW, Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 5;98(7):451-9.
PMID: 16595781
doi:10.1093/jnci/djj101
Conclusions: Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality in men, particularly for digestive-system cancers. The vitamin D supplementation necessary to achieve a 25(OH)D increment of 25 nmol/L may be at least 1500 IU/day.
Vitamin D status and the risk of lung cancer: a cohort study in Finland.
Kilkkinen A, Knekt P, Heliövaara M, Rissanen H, Marniemi J, Hakulinen T, Aromaa A.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Nov;17(11):3274-8.
PMID: 18990771v
In conclusion, although there was no overall association between vitamin D and lung cancer risk, women and young participants with a higher level of vitamin D were observed to have a lower lung cancer risk. Although experimental data support the suppressing effect of vitamin D on the development of lung cancer, large epidemiologic studies from different populations with repeated measurements of vitamin D are warranted to confirm this finding. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(11):3274-8)
Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and survival in patients with colorectal cancer
K Ng, B M Wolpin, J A Meyerhardt, K Wu, A T Chan, B W Hollis, E L Giovannucci, M J Stampfer, W C Willett and C S Fuchs
Br J Cancer 101: 916-923; advance online publication, August 18, 2009; doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605262
If angiogenesis controls cancer growth, what controls angiogenesis? Researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of South Florida believe that the copper status is critical to the function growth factors.
Ecological studies of ultraviolet B, vitamin D and cancer since 2000.
Grant WB, Mohr SB.
Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):446-54. Epub 2009 Mar 9.
PMID: 19269856
CONCLUSION: These findings provide strong evidence that vitamin D status plays an important role in controlling the outcome of cancer. Support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer theory is now scientifically strong enough to warrant use of vitamin D in cancer prevention, and as a component of treatment. More research studies would help to explore whether there are benefits beyond the substantial effects that have been observed.
Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial.
Lappe JM, Travers-Gustafson D, Davies KM, Recker RR, Heaney RP.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):794.
PMID: 17556697
Conclusions: Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
If you're from Japan, you're probably wondering why I've listed PSK under alternative therapies. In Japan, PSK is an approved anti-cancer drug with 20 years of research behind it. PSK sales in Japan account for hundreds of millions dollars worth of sales each year. But in the US, PSK is little known, is not used by mainstream doctors, and until recently nothing like it was readily available. Now a nutritional supplement designed to be identical to PSK is available in the US, but very few mainstream doctors, and actually not many alternative practitioners are aware of it. So in the US, PSK has the status of a little known nutritional supplement or alternative therapy. Which is too bad in light of its proven benefits, easy administration, and lack of toxicity. Before I start sounding too much more like an advertisement, let me confess. I really am excited about it, but I have no financial interest in it; I'm not selling it.
Vitamin D from dietary intake and sunlight exposure and the risk of hormone-receptor-defined breast cancer.
Blackmore KM, Lesosky M, Barnett H, Raboud JM, Vieth R, Knight JA.
Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Oct 15;168(8):915-24. Epub 2008 Aug 27.
PMID: 18756015
doi:10.1093/aje/kwn198
This study suggests that vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer regardless of ER/PR status of the tumor. Future studies with a larger number of receptor-negative and mixed tumors are required.
A nested case control study of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and risk of colorectal cancer.
Wu K, Feskanich D, Fuchs CS, Willett WC, Hollis BW, Giovannucci EL.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 18;99(14):1120-9. Epub 2007 Jul 10.
PMID: 17623801
Serum Vitamin D and Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Case-Control Analysis Nested Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
Travis RC, Crowe FL, Allen NE, Appleby PN, Roddam AW, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Linseisen J, Kaaks R, Boeing H, Kröger J, Trichopoulou A, Dilis V, Trichopoulos D, Vineis P, Palli D, Tumino R, Sieri S, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, van Duijnhoven FJ, Chirlaque MD, Barricarte A, Larrañaga N, González CA, Argüelles MV, Sánchez MJ, Stattin P, Hallmans G, Khaw KT, Bingham S, Rinaldi S, Slimani N, Jenab M, Riboli E, Key TJ.
Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19359375
doi:10.1093/aje/kwp022
A large number of new vitamin D studies have appeared in the scientific literature since I wrote my plea to the federal government. These studies don't just confirm what we knew 16 months ago-they show that optimizing vitamin D intake will save even more lives than what we projected.
Vitamin D More Effective Than Previously Known
For instance, a study published in June 2008 showed that men with low vitamin D levels suffer 2.42 times more heart attacks. Now look what this means in actual body counts.
Ecological Studies Of Ultraviolet B, Vitamin D And Cancer Since 2000.
Grant WB, Mohr SB.
Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19269856
doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.12.014