title: Epidemiology of vitamin D insufficiency and cancer mortality.
abstract: There is growing evidence that vitamin D exerts anticarcinogenic effects. Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, which is required for vitamin D production in the skin, was found to be inversely associated with cancer incidence and mortality. Recent studies have largely but not consistently shown that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, which are considered to be the best indicator of vitamin D status, are a significant risk factor for cancer mortality. Circulating 25(OH)D levels were also associated with improved survival in colorectal and lung cancer patients and vitamin D insufficiency was observed in various other diseases such as autoimmune, infectious, musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, we still need further studies to evaluate the association of vitamin D insufficiency and cancer incidence and mortality, but the multiple health benefits of vitamin D and the easy, safe and inexpensive way by which vitamin D can be supplemented should already guide current public health strategies to achieve 25(OH)D levels of at least 75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) in the general population.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. stefan.pilz@chello.at
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Pilz
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Tomaschitz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Obermayer-Pietsch
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Dobnig
authors: Thomas R
authors: TR
authors: Pieber
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D