title: Vitamin D and cancer: an overview on epidemiological studies.
abstract: In recent years, a rapidly increasing number of studies have investigated the relationship of vitamin D with total cancer and site-specific cancer obtaining diverse findings. In this chapter we provide an overview of epidemiological studies of vitamin D intake, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D serum levels and vitamin D associated polymorphisms in relation to total and site-specific cancer risk. Overall, epidemiological evidence for total cancer is inconclusive. However, a large number of studies support a relationship of vitamin D with colorectal cancer and to a lesser extent with breast cancer. Findings are inconsistent for other cancers including all other gastrointestinal cancers and prostate cancer. Different vitamin D associated polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated to colorectal, breast and prostate cancer risk.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ordóñez Mena
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012306:Risk; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; C097949:1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D