Gastric cancerVitamin D levels

There is no evidence of a link between levels of vitamin D in the blood and rates of gastric cancer.

An observational study in China1 did not find a link between levels of vitamin D in the blood and gastric cancer.

However, in a study in which ten studies were pooled, “Subgroup analysis by race showed that among Asians, but not Caucasians, lower concentrations of 25(OH)D (<25 nmol/L) were associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of upper (gastrointestinal) GI cancer (reference: 50-<75 nmol/L) (odds ratio = 0.53, 95% confidence interval: 0.31, 0.91; P trend = 0.003). Never smokers with concentrations of <25 nmol/L showed a lower risk of upper GI cancers (odds ratio = 0.55, 95% confidence interval: 0.31, 0.96)2.” 

This contradicts the findings from ecological studies. However, a single measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] loses prognostic value after a few years3. This study had an average follow-up period of 6.63 years, during which time serum 25(OH)D levels change seasonally and due to lifestyle changes.

Page last edited: 22 August 2011

References

  1. Chen, W. Dawsey, S. M. Qiao, Y. L. Mark, S. D. Dong, Z. W. Taylor, P. R. Zhao, P. Abnet, C. C. Prospective study of serum 25(OH)-vitamin D concentration and risk of oesophageal and gastric cancers. Br J Cancer. 2007 Jul 2; 97 (1): 123-8.
  2. Abnet, C. C. Chen, Y. Chow, W. H. Gao, Y. T. Helzlsouer, K. J. Le Marchand, L. McCullough, M. L. Shikany, J. M. Virtamo, J. Weinstein, S. J. Xiang, Y. B. Yu, K. Zheng, W. Albanes, D. Arslan, A. A. Campbell, D. S. Campbell, P. T. Hayes, R. B. Horst, R. L. Kolonel, L. N. Nomura, A. M. Purdue, M. P. Snyder, K. Shu, X. O. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer: Cohort Consortium Vitamin D Pooling Project of Rarer Cancers. Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Jul 1; 172 (1): 94-106.
  3. Grant, W. B. Effect of interval between serum draw and follow-up period on relative risk of cancer incidence with respect to 25-hydroxyvitamin D level; implications for meta-analyses and setting vitamin D guidelines. Dermato-endocrinology. 2011; 3 (3):