NEW EVIDENCE ON AN OLD VITAMIN:VITAMIN D MAY COMBAT BREAST, COLON AND PROSTATE C

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NEW EVIDENCE ON AN OLD VITAMIN:

 

VITAMIN D MAY COMBAT BREAST, COLON AND PROSTATE CANCER

 

From The Cancer Chronicles #32-#33

 

© June 1996 by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

 

When a Western-style diet that is high in fat but low in calcium and

vitamin D is fed to mice, by the eighth week the animals begin to

develop precancerous growths in their colons. But if the same mice

are then given two sources of calcium these changes are routinely

reversed (Richter, et al., Carcinogenesis 1995;16:2685-2689).

 

Until now, vitamin D has been considered primarily important as a

regulator of normal bodily levels (or `homeostasis') of calcium.

But, in addition to its role as a facilitator of calcium absorption,

vitamin D now appears to have other profound effects in the body.

Moderate amounts of the vitamin may help slow the growth not just

colon but breast and prostate cancer, independent of its effect on

calcium absorption.

 

" It's becoming increasingly clear that vitamin D has a host of

effects in the body, especially on the growth of tumor cells, " David

Feldman, MD of Stanford University told a seminar sponsored by the

American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, DC last year.

 

PROSTATE

 

For example, intensive work is being done on the link between low

vitamin D levels and prostate cancer. In fact, there is a

possibility of even using the vitamin to treat the disease. The

aforementioned 1,25-D form of the vitamin has induced several

important responses in prostate cells, including growth inhibition.

 

Dr. Feldman and colleagues recently concluded that " vitamin D is

anti-proliferative and promotes cellular maturation. " It seems

clear, they add, " that vitamin D must be viewed as an important

cellular modulator of growth and differentiation....Vitamin D has

the potential to have beneficial actions on various malignancies

including prostate cancer. "

 

1,25-D may prove useful in chemoprevention, they say, and/or in

differentiation therapy. They maintain an " optimistic view on the

possible use of vitamin D to treat prostate cancer in patients, " and

say that " further investigation is clearly warranted " (Adv Exp Med

Biol 1995;375:53-63).

 

Recently, new forms (analogs) of vitamin D have been developed that

have much less effect on calcium metabolism, but still retain the

vitamins tumor inhibiting properties. The action of the vitamin

seems to be regulated by a single receptor site, which has the same

structure as certain steroid receptors (Niles, RM. Adv Exp Med Biol

1995;375:1-15).

 

Canadian scientists have reported that in the test tube cancer cell

proliferation is " strongly inhibited " by both vitamin D and its

analogs. In some systems, they say, the analogs (such as EB1089)

were 10 to 100 times more potent than the original compound. This

activity " predicts their potential usefulness " in animals in

inhibiting squamous cancer growth (Yu. J, et al. Anticancer Drugs

1995;6:101-108)

 

Prostate cancer is especially prevalent and deadly among African-

American men. What could prevent early prostate cancer from

progressing to the malignant phase? It has been found that higher

serum levels of vitamin D might do this in both Black and white men.

This is so especially after the age of 57.

 

Scientists have concluded that vitamin D metabolism may indeed

impact the risk of prostate cancer (Corder, EH, et al., Cancer

Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1995;4:655-659).

 

When human prostate cancer cells were implanted into so-

called " nude " mice (which are bred to lack a normal immune

systems),Vitamin D slowed malignant growth. Several other studies

lend credence the idea that vitamin D cancer protect against

prostate cancer.

 

For example, in one study, serum levels of " 1,25-D " (the major

circulating form of the vitamin) were significantly lower in 181 men

who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared to their age-

matched controls. The author of that study, Elizabeth Corder, MD,

has said that levels of the vitamin could be used as an important

way of predicting the risks for prostate tumors.

 

A study from the University of North Carolina found that men living

in northern latitudes are at greater risk of developing prostate

cancer. Such men have less exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the

principal source of vitamin D in the body. This observations further

supports the theory that having lowered levels of vitamin D

predisposes men to prostate cancer.

 

BREAST CANCER AND VIT D

 

At a meeting of the US Presidents Cancer Panel Special Commission on

Breast Cancer, convened in Reston, Va. on 9/23/92, British

scientists David Hunter and Dimitrios Trichopoulos reported on a

strong inverse correlation between breast cancer mortality in the US

and exposure to ultraviolet sunlight.

 

Since vitamin D is created by exposure to sunlight, this suggested

that low levels of vitamin D plays a part in the onset of cancer

(Lancet1992;340:905). In addition, scientists writing in the Cancer

Letter analyzed the anticancer effects of vitamin D and four of its

analogs on a human breast cancer cell line. Growth of such cells

was " significantly inhibited " by all such compounds. These results

demonstrate that analogs of vitamin D are " potent antiproliferative

agents on human breast cancer cells " (Brenner, RV, et al., Cancer

Lett, 1995;92:77-82).

 

The same researchers also showed that levels of the vitamin were

lower in patients with colon cancer than in controls. The mechanism

of action is unclear. However, it is known that both calcium and

vitamin D can be deterrents to colon cancer. Since the vitamin is

necessary for the absorption of the mineral, it seems to be their

dual action that halts the proliferation of colon epithelial cells.

 

MELANOMA LINK

 

These latest findings support the theory of Drs. Frank C. and Cedra

F. Garland. Between 1974 and 1984, they studied 176 cases of

melanoma among Navy personnel. After testicular cancer, melanoma is

the second most-common cause of cancer in male US Navy personnel

(Archives of Environmental Health 1990;45:261-267).

 

Melanoma is usually associated with excessive exposure to the sun.

However, it was found that sailors who had indoor jobs (e.g., on

engine crews) actually had an incidence of melanoma that was higher

than those who worked outdoors. Those who spent some time outdoors

(but not an excess of time) seemed to actually benefit by generating

vitamin D from the sun.

 

The Garlands concluded there may be a protective effect from brief

but regular exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D may suppress malignant

melanoma.

 

ANTI-ANGIOGENESIS

 

Vitamin D and its derivative compounds also have been shown to

inhibit tumor growth in mice with a deadly form of eye cancer called

retinoblastoma.

 

In humans, this is a rare cancer, afflicting about 200 individuals

per year, most of them children. Until now, the mechanism of vitamin

Ds action in this experimental tumor has not been understood. But in

1995, Boston scientists gave these mice either high or low doses of

vitamin D in mineral oil by injection, five times per week for five

weeks.

 

The control animals were injected with mineral oil alone. At five

months of age, the animals were killed and their eyes processed for

analysis by light microscopy.

 

Mice receiving high-dose vitamin D had formed the lowest numbers of

blood vessels in the eye. This was followed by the low-dose vitamin

D group. But the control group showed the highest blood vessel

countãalmost double that of the first group. The number of blood

vessels in this particular animal model is indicative of

retinoblastoma.

 

The scientists concluded that vitamin D could definitely exert

anticancer effects through the inhibition of new vessel formation,

or angiogenesis (Shokravi, MT, et al., Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci,

1995;36:83-87). This type of tumor inhibition is " hot " right now. It

is not only the basis of the work of some well established

scientists (see p. 6) but is a purported mechanism of action for

shark cartilage.

 

TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT?

 

While some scientists in Holland recently concluded that there

are " insufficient reasons to supplement subjects at increased colon

cancer risk with calcium or vitamin D, especially if they are

getting the recommended amounts in their diets (Kleibeuker et al.,

Eur J Cancer 1995;31A:1081-1084), many others would strongly

disagree.

 

How do we know if a person is truly getting enough vitamin D?

Because they drink a lot of milk? It is quite disturbing that the

vitamin D content in milk—the major source of the vitamin in the

Western diet—may be serious misrepresented.

 

A report by Tai C. Chen, PhD, of Boston University School of

Medicine, and other researchers, found that 80 percent of the milk

samples in the U.S. contained either 20 percent less or 20 percent

more vitamin D than the label claimed. In fact, fourteen percent of

the samples had undetectable amounts of the vitamin (New Engl J Med

1993;329:1507).

 

Supplements of vitamin D are usually found together with vitamin A.

These typically contain 400 IUs of vitamin D. The cost of each such

tablet or capsule is between three and five cents. This is a

harmless amount to take. It seems to be a very small price indeed to

pay for some possibly significant protection against melanoma,

prostate, colon, and breast cancer.

 

Ralph Moss, Ph.D. as been called " probably the most knowledgeable

writer in the world on alternative therapies for cancer. "

 

He is the author of several excellent books, including Cancer

Theerapy, Questioning Chemotherapy and The Cancer Industry.

 

His newsletter, The Cancer Chronicles, is now online, on the the

Internet, at www.ralphmoss.com. The above article was excerpted from

The Cancer Chronicsl.

 

Dr. Moss has just published a new book, Alternative Medicine Online:

A Guide to Natural Remediesa on the Internet, published by Equinox

Press.

 

All of Dr. Moss's books are available at Willner Chemists. All books

at Willners are discounted 20% off list price.

 

http://www.willner.com/References/webref11.htm

 

 

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