© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press.
EDITORIAL |
Vitamin D Status and Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Something New Under the Sun
Affiliations of authors: Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (GGS); International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN (WJB)
Correspondence to: Gary G. Schwartz, MPH, PhD, Departments of Cancer Biology and Epidemiology, Wake Forest University, School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 (e-mail: gschwart@wfubmc.edu).
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
In this era of tumor genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, the idea that fundamental insights about cancer could emerge from observations of the gross characteristics of individual persons (i.e., from classical epidemiology) seems almost anachronistic. Surely the era of discovery of common exposures with broad effects on cancer is over. Or is it?
In this issue of the Journal, Giovannucci et al. (1) report that estimates of vitamin D status derived from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study were associated with statistically significant reductions in total cancer incidence and mortality. Most of the protective effect for vitamin D status comes from an exposure that is common indeedsunlight. Because many persons think of sunlight only as a cause of cancer (especially melanoma), some perspective may be helpful.
In 1941, Frank Apperly (2), a pathologist, demonstrated an inverse correlation between levels of ultraviolet radiation in North America and mortality
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
I. Cantor Shedding Light on Vitamin D and Integrative Oncology Integr Cancer Ther, June 1, 2008; 7(2): 81 - 89. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Pilz, H. Dobnig, B. Winklhofer-Roob, G. Riedmuller, J. E. Fischer, U. Seelhorst, B. Wellnitz, B. O. Boehm, and W. Marz Low Serum Levels of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Predict Fatal Cancer in Patients Referred to Coronary Angiography Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., May 1, 2008; 17(5): 1228 - 1233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. E. Mullin and A. Dobs Vitamin D and Its Role in Cancer and Immunity: A Prescription for Sunlight Nutr Clin Pract, June 1, 2007; 22(3): 305 - 322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Zhou, R. S. Heist, G. Liu, K. Asomaning, D. S. Neuberg, B. W. Hollis, J. C. Wain, T. J. Lynch, E. Giovannucci, L. Su, et al. Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Predict Survival in Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients J. Clin. Oncol., February 10, 2007; 25(5): 479 - 485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||



