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# Here is why high serum vitamin D linked to high pancreatic cancer risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_d_binding_protein_pancreatic_cancer_0830120606/
- Published: 2012-08-30T19:05:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:59:25.000Z
- Description: In a study of Finnish men, those with the highest serum vitamin D but below-median vitamin D binding protein were five times as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as those with the lowest vitamin D. Higher binding protein on its own tracked with lower risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Thursday Aug 30, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- A link has been found between high circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D with elevated pancreatic cancer risk. A new study in Cancer Research suggests that the association was found in those with lower levels of vitamin D binding protein, but not those with high levels of the protein.

The study led by Stephanie J. Weinstein of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda and colleagues showed that men with highest serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and serum vitamin D binding protein levels below the median were 5 times as likely as those who had the lowest vitamin D levels to develop pancreatic cancer.

The study involved 234 cases of pancreatic cancer and 234 controls in Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study of Finnish men. Vitamin D and vitamin D binding protein levels were measured in all subjects prior to diagnosis.

Vitamin D binding protein and 25(OH)D were correlated and the protein was inversely correlated with pancreatic cancer risk, that is, men with vitamin D binding protein levels in the highest quartile were 34 percent less likely to be diagnosed with the cancer, compared to those whose vitamin D binding protein levels in the lowest quartile.

The researchers pointed out that it is important to note that the correlation seemingly had a threshold between quartiles 2 to 4 and quartile 1 and men with highest levels of vitamin D and vitamin D binding protein were 67 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, compared to those with lowest vitamin D binding protein. Among men with lower serum vitamin D, those who had highest levels of vitamin D binding protein were 28 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Higher vitamin D levels in men with serum vitamin D binding protein below the median

 was associated with 400 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to those with lower vitamin D. In men with high vitamin D binding protein levels, higher vitamin D was associated with slightly reduced risk of the cancer, that is, there was a week inverse association between the two.

The researchers explained "higher DBP (vitamin D binding protein) concentrations may sequester more 25(OH)D and reduce free 25(OH)D bioavailability. Simultaneous examination of DBP and 25(OH)D may be important in determining the association of vitamin D with cancer risk."

Although the study suggests that in people with low vitamin D binding protein levels, high vitamin D may increase risk of pancreatic cancer, it may not be wise to lower vitamin D levels in the blood as vitamin D deficiency has been associated with other 17 types of major cancers.

Also, the study merely foudn an association, which did not reveal an causal relation between vitamin D and pancreatic cancer, that is, no evidence suggests tha vitamin D causes pancreatic cancer. There may be something else that affects the association.

For researchers, it may be interesting to find out why some people have lower levels of vitamin D binding protein and develop a drug or use some dietary intervention to help those people raise the protein levels.