title: Vitamin D and the epidemiology of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a critical analysis of the current evidence.
abstract: Prospective analyses have yet to uncover a consistent relationship between vitamin D status and incidence and mortality of rarer cancers including esophageal and upper gastrointestinal cancers. We searched PubMed for literature about the epidemiology of upper gastrointestinal cancers and vitamin D published over the last decade and then summarized and critiqued the results of these studies in this review. The search yielded nine relevant studies. Overall, no consistent relationship was reported between serum vitamin D levels or a surrogate and upper gastrointestinal cancers. Four studies reported negative correlations between vitamin D status and upper gastrointestinal cancer, three reported positive correlations, one reported no correlation, and one reported both positive and negative correlations. No relationship has been established on the basis of epidemiologic data, but studies examining sun exposure consistently report an inverse association with esophageal cancer. The current literature is limited by the methods used to assess vitamin D status, lack of specific data for the types of upper gastrointestinal cancer, and failure to establish a temporal relationship between vitamin D status assessment and presentation of upper gastrointestinal cancer. It is possible that the lack of a consistent relationship is a consequence of inaccurate and imprecise assessment of vitamin D status.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trowbridge
authors.forename: Sumeet K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Devendra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
references.citation: Cancer. 2002 Nov 15;95(10):2096-102
references.pmid: 12412162
references.citation: J Pathol. 2005 Nov;207(3):269-76
references.pmid: 16177953
references.citation: Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 May;4(5):744-51
references.pmid: 21436386
references.citation: Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;624:89-103
references.pmid: 18348450
references.citation: J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Mar;133(3):589-592
references.pmid: 23399821
references.citation: J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010 Jul;121(1-2):462-6
references.pmid: 20399270
references.citation: Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013 Jan;13(1):65-9
references.pmid: 23094922
references.citation: Maturitas. 2013 Jan;74(1):79-83
references.pmid: 23200514
references.citation: J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Mar;133(3):629-636
references.pmid: 23190899
references.citation: Ann Oncol. 2009 Sep;20(9):1576-1581
references.pmid: 19487490
references.citation: J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;103(3-5):668-74
references.pmid: 17208438
references.citation: Cancer Causes Control. 2010 Oct;21(10):1701-9
references.pmid: 20552265
references.citation: Exp Mol Pathol. 2012 Oct;93(2):246-9
references.pmid: 22664272
references.citation: Arch Dermatol. 2011 Dec;147(12):1379-84
references.pmid: 21844426
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 2007 May;117(5):1175-83
references.pmid: 17476347
references.citation: Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(5):732-41
references.pmid: 21736847
references.citation: Int J Cancer. 1997 Oct 9;73(2):198-203
references.pmid: 9335442
references.citation: Nature. 2003 Oct 23;425(6960):846-51
references.pmid: 14520411
references.citation: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Jan;137(2):599-607
references.pmid: 23239153
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Apr 5;98(7):451-9
references.pmid: 16595781
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jan;97(1):147-54
references.pmid: 23193007
references.citation: Gut. 2002 Apr;50(4):451-9
references.pmid: 11889061
references.citation: J Pharm Pharmacol. 2013 Jan;65(1):2-10
references.pmid: 23215682
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Jul;19(7):1686-95
references.pmid: 20570907
references.citation: J Clin Oncol. 2011 Oct 1;29(28):3775-82
references.pmid: 21876081
references.citation: Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2006 Sep;4(3):96-102
references.pmid: 16907998
references.citation: Oncogene. 2008 Jul 24;27(32):4467-77
references.pmid: 18408752
references.citation: J Nutr. 1995 Jun;125(6 Suppl):1704S-1708S
references.pmid: 7782931
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Nov;1117:94-105
references.pmid: 17656563
references.citation: Nutr Rev. 2008 Oct;66(10 Suppl 2):S170-7
references.pmid: 18844845
references.citation: Br J Nutr. 2013 Jul 14;110(1):50-7
references.pmid: 23182389
references.citation: J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2008 Jan;324(1):23-33
references.pmid: 17911375
references.citation: Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 Dec;107(12):1803-13
references.pmid: 23032986
references.citation: Kidney Int. 2001 Jan;59(1):69-75
references.pmid: 11135059
references.citation: J Immunol. 2000 Mar 1;164(5):2405-11
references.pmid: 10679076
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 May;20(5):1003-16
references.pmid: 21378269
references.citation: Br J Dermatol. 2013 Mar;168(3):625-8
references.pmid: 22880705
references.citation: PLoS Biol. 2006 Jul;4(8):e232
references.pmid: 16895439
references.citation: Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2009 Dec;9(6):721-6
references.pmid: 19828375
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Jul 1;172(1):94-106
references.pmid: 20562192
references.citation: Br J Surg. 2002 Jul;89(7):845-60
references.pmid: 12081733
references.citation: Arch Biochem Biophys. 2007 Apr 15;460(2):218-26
references.pmid: 17367745
references.citation: Osteoporos Int. 2009 Nov;20(11):1807-20
references.pmid: 19543765
references.citation: BMC Cancer. 2006 Nov 10;6:264
references.pmid: 17096841
references.citation: Hum Immunol. 2009 May;70(5):345-52
references.pmid: 19405173
references.citation: Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013 Jan;13(1):140-6
references.pmid: 23094927
references.citation: J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;103(3-5):786-92
references.pmid: 17215122
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 2002 Apr;109(8):1091-9
references.pmid: 11956247
references.citation: J Neurosci Res. 2006 May 15;83(7):1299-309
references.pmid: 16547967
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Sep;16(9):1889-93
references.pmid: 17855710
references.citation: JAMA. 1991 Mar 13;265(10):1287-9
references.pmid: 1995976
references.citation: Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013 Jan;13(1):107-17
references.pmid: 23094928
references.citation: Am J Mens Health. 2012 Sep;6(5):420-6
references.pmid: 22398989
references.citation: Exp Mol Pathol. 2012 Aug;93(1):147-53
references.pmid: 22546272
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1998 Jan 1;101(1):252-62
references.pmid: 9421488
references.citation: J Immunol. 2007 Nov 1;179(9):6273-83
references.pmid: 17947703
references.citation: Int J Cancer. 2013 Jun 15;132(12):2940-7
references.pmid: 23180681
references.citation: Eur J Cancer. 2013 Apr;49(6):1422-36
references.pmid: 23237739
references.citation: Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jul;101(7):1437-48
references.pmid: 16863544
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jan;98(1):97-104
references.pmid: 23144464
references.citation: Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013 Jan;13(1):11-9
references.pmid: 23094917
references.citation: Br J Cancer. 2007 Jul 2;97(1):123-8
references.pmid: 17551495
references.citation: J Immunol. 2003 Jun 1;170(11):5382-90
references.pmid: 12759412
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Dec 19;104(24):1897-904
references.pmid: 23108201