Vitamin D for Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: What is the Evidence?

Abstract Vitamin D insufficiency is highly prevalent in the U.S., particularly among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. These low levels of vitamin D are concerning given increasing evidence that vitamin D may have health benefits beyond skeletal outcomes. Prospective observational studies suggest that higher vitamin D levels are associated with lower risk of incident CRC and improved survival for patients with established CRC, and randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to establish causality. Moreover, there remains a great need to improve prognosis for patients with CRC, and investigating vitamin D as a potential therapy is an attractive option in regards to safety and cost, particularly in this era of expensive and often toxic anti-neoplastic agents. In this review the evidence regarding the activity of vitamin D in CRC will be summarized, spanning preclinical, epidemiological, and clinical studies, and future research directions will be discussed.
Source: Current Colorectal Cancer Reports - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research