Page 188 - Vitamin D and Cancer

Chapter 8
Vitamin D and Cancer Chemoprevention

Sarah A. Mazzilli, Mary E. Reid, and Barbara A. Foster

Abstract Epidemiological evidence suggests that there is an inverse relationship
between vitamin D and cancer. To investigate this relationship, a number of preclin-
ical studies have been conducted focusing on the chemopreventive nature of dietary
intake of vitamin D and the administration of the active metabolite of vitamin D
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(1,25(OH)2 D ) and analogs of various forms of D . In addition, clinical studies
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have also have begun to assess the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention focusing
on the administration of vitamin D . For colorectal and breast cancers, preclinical
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studies in a number of animal models suggest that diets containing sufficient levels
of vitamin D and calcium may slow tumor progression. Additionally, studies in
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examining the use of 1,25(OH)2 D and/or analogs of vitamin D in animal models
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of colorectal, prostate, lung, and breast cancers further support the chemopreven-
tive potential for vitamin D in these cancers, when administered during early stage
disease. Overall the preclinical studies support the chemopreventive role of vitamin
D in cancer, however further studies are required to understand how to effectively
utilize vitamin D in the clinic. Clinical studies have not strongly supported the use
of vitamin D as a chemopreventive agent potentially due to study design. However,
new trails are currently on-going to further assess the clinical benefits of vitamin D
in reducing cancer incidence and mortality.

Keywords Chemoprevention • Vitamin D • 1,25(OH)2 D • Colorectal cancer
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• Breast cancer • Prostate cancer and lung cancer

B.A. Foster (*)
Pharmacology & Therapeutics,
Roswell Park Cancer Institute,
Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
e-mail: barbara.foster@roswellpark.org

D.L. Trump and C.S. Johnson (eds.), Vitamin D and Cancer, 175
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7188-3_8, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011