Data from Prospective Population-Based Study of the Association between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin-D Levels and the Incidence of Specific Types of Cancer

Abstract

<div>Abstract<p><b>Background:</b> Observational studies have suggested an inverse association between vitamin D status and cancer. We investigated the prospective associations between vitamin D status and the total and specific type of cancer in three cohorts from the general Danish population.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> A total of 12,204 individuals 18 to 71 years old were included. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured at baseline, and information about cancer was obtained from the Danish Cancer Registry.</p><p><b>Results:</b> During the 11.3-year median follow-up time, there were 1,248 incident cancers. HRs [95% confidence intervals (CI)] per 10 nmol/L higher baseline vitamin D level were: for all cancers (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.99–1.04), all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, NMSC (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97–1.03), head and neck cancer (HR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.84–1.12), colorectal cancer (HR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.88–1.02), cancer of bronchus and lung (HR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.91–1.05), breast cancer (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96–1.09), cancer of the uterus (HR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.95–1.27), prostate cancer (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93–1.08), cancer of the urinary organs (HR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.90–1.14), NMSC (HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.10), and malignant melanoma (HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95–1.17).</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> Apart from a significantly higher risk for NMSC with higher vitamin D status, we found no statistically significant associations between vitamin D status and total or specific cancers.</p><p><b>Impact:</b> Our results do not indicate that there is an impact of vitamin D on total cancer incidence. <i>Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(7); 1220–9. ©2014 AACR</i>.</p></div>