No link between Vitamin D and prostate cancer risk

According to a new study, taking high dose of Vitamin D would not prevent a man from higher risk of prostate cancer. The newly conducted studies by epidemiologists from the National Cancer Institute reveal that high Vitamin D concentration in the blood is not linked with the reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer can lead to a high risk of bone fractures and the risk can be enhanced if the infected person goes for treatment, another study also suggested.

The case study was conducted by Jiyoung Ahn, Ph.D., and Richard Hayes D.D.S., Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda including colleagues. The study was conducted on two different sections of people—first category included 749 men, who were on diagnosis suffering with prostate cancer and the second category comprised 781 men without prostate cancer. The researchers compared the vitamin D concentration in these two groups of people.

Blood sample of all the participants taken when they enrolled in the study and all the prostate cancer patients were diagnosed 1-8 years after the blood samples were taken, and after measuring vitamin D concentration in blood the researchers came on to a conclusion that high vitamin D concentration in the blood was nothing to do with the reducing risk of prostate cancer.

"Results from this large prospective study of men who underwent standardised prostate cancer screening in the context of a screening trial do not support the hypothesis that higher serum vitamin D status is associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer," the researchers concluded.

However, the researchers negated association of high vitamin D concentration with reduced risk of prostate cancer, but added that higher vitamin D level might be associated with increased risks of aggressive disease.

The earlier studies had linked possible association between vitamin D and prostate cancer risk. But, the researchers found that the evidence does not strongly support an association between vitamin D status in adulthood and prostate cancer risk.

The report was published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute, dated May 27, 2008.