The role of vitamin D in reducing cancer risk and progression.
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin but the precursor to the potent steroid hormone calcitriol, which has widespread actions throughout the body. Calcitriol regulates numerous cellular pathways that could have a role in determining cancer risk and prognosis. Although epidemiological and early clinical trials are inconsistent, and randomized control trials in humans do not yet exist to conclusively support a beneficial role for vitamin D, accumulating results from preclinical and some clinical studies strongly suggest that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of developing cancer and that avoiding deficiency and adding vitamin D supplements might be an economical and safe way to reduce cancer incidence and improve cancer prognosis and outcome.
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
David
D
Feldman
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Aruna V
AV
Krishnan
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Srilatha
S
Swami
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Edward
E
Giovannucci
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Brian J
BJ
Feldman
D015090:25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000502:physiology*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000502:physiology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004703:Endocrine System; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012306:Risk; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000378:metabolism; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D065668:Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase
D014807:Vitamin D; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D065668:Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase; D015090:25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1-alpha-Hydroxylase; D002117:Calcitriol