The Longevity Project

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.

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, 0631C, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0631, USA. cgarland@ucsd.edu

Am J Public Health. 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61. Epub 2005 Dec 27.

Related posts

• The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention
• Optimal vitamin D status for colorectal cancer prevention: a quantitative meta analysis
• Canadian Cancer Society Announces Vitamin D Recommendation
• Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene, and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature
• Serum Lycopene, Other Carotenoids, and Prostate Cancer Risk: a Nested Case-Control Study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial