foodconsumer.org: Vitamin D may have an effect on prostate cancer

Vitamin D may have an effect on prostate cancer
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admin on 12/09/2009 02:09:00
 
By Jimmy Downs
A new study published in the Dec 4, 2009 issue of BMC Medical Genetics suggests
that vitamin D may be involved in the development of prostate cancer.
Early epidemiological studies have associated prostate cancer risk with gene
polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor or VDR, but not all studies are consistent.
In the study, Bai Yongheng and colleagues tested blood samples from 122 prostate
cancer patients and 130 age-matched control subjects in a population of Southern
China for different vitamin D receptor polymorphisms.
Of those examined including FokI (exon 2), BsmI, Tru9I, ApaI (intron 9), and
TaqI (exon 9), BsmI was associated with prostate cancer risk.
The researchers found "the BsmI 'B' allele was associated with an almost
1/3-fold risk of the occurrence of prostate cancer, a 1/5-fold risk of poorly
differentiated prostate cancer, and a 1/10-fold risk of aggressive prostate
cancer compared with the 'b' allele, especially among older men (>71 years )."
They concluded genetic polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene may be
potential risk factors for prostate cancer.
The finding may also suggest that vitamin D may have an effect on the risk of
prostate cancer.
In the United States, about 200,00 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each
year and more than 20,000 die annually, according to the National cancer
Institute.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with about 17 different types of cancers
including prostate cancer.