Prostate Cancer Vitamin D

[Ted Hutchinson]

UV, latitude, and spatial trends in prostate cancer mortality: all sunlight is not the same (United States). (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16933060&query_hl=50&itool=pubmed_docsum) the geographic distribution of prostate cancer mortality is the inverse of that of UV radiation. This effect is strongest in counties north of 40 degrees N latitude, where vitamin D synthesis is limited to non-winter months. These findings add additional support for the hypothesis that vitamin D insufficiency increases risk for prostate cancer.


Mortality rates from prostate cancer are significantly higher among African Americans than Caucasian Americans and are inversely related to the availability of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These findings support the hypothesis, originally proposed in 1990, that prostate cancer may be caused by vitamin D deficiency. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=16076349)

Vitamin D compounds: clinical development as cancer therapy and prevention agents. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16886663&query_hl=50&itool=pubmed_docsum)

Vitamin D council Prostate Cancer research (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/cancerProstate.shtml)

Sunshine Vitamin for Prostate Cancer (http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522781/)

“Should men with prostate cancer be allowed to die vitamin D deficient?” (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/PDFs/nihprostatecancer.pdf)All patients with prostate cancer should have their vitamin D deficiency aggressively and immediately corrected and that requires up to 4,000 units of cholecalciferol every day.

[Ted Hutchinson]

Solar ultraviolet-B exposure and cancer incidence and mortality in the United States, 1993-2002 (http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2407-6-264.pdf) Another review of the link between Sun Exposure and the incidence and mortality from Cancer, this is very detailed and confirms the information provided earlier
Ten sites showed strong evidence of an inverse association with solar UV-B exposure: bladder, colon, Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, other biliary, prostate, rectum,stomach, uterus, and vulva, with two other sites showing this relationship for only one sex (male esophagus, female gallbladder)

This paper adds to the mounting evidence for the influential role of solar UV-B exposure on cancer, particularly for some of the less-well studied digestive cancers. The relative risks for cancer incidence are similar to those for cancer mortality for most sites. For several sites (breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, other biliary, vulva), the relative risks of mortality are higher, possibly suggesting that the maintenance of adequate vitamin D levels is more critical for limiting tumor progression than for preventing tumor onset.

Links to all the research papers on which this review is based are given at the back.

Regular direct exposure to sunshine therefore will reduce your overall risk of getting cancer and of those cancers you do acquire reduce the risk of their progressing. Those living above latitude 40° will find that sunlight is less available in the Winter and these people are therefore best advised to use Cholecalciferol Vitamin d3 to supplement the amount of vitamin d acquired through the limited number of food sources. Links to the best, cheapest source of vitamin d3 cholecalciferol available at The Vitamin D council (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/)

Remember the half life of Vitamin d3 is about 3 weeks once in the blood stream. If you want to average 2000iu/day over 7 days 14,000iu would represent approx 3@5000iu capsules. If you were depressed, have MS, are pregnant, and want to average 4000iu/day then 7x4000=28000 would mean you could take 5 or 6 @5000iu on alternate weeks. Whether you take these singly or just on one day a week will not make any difference over time, what matters is that you don't forget. There is good evidence that the safe upper limit is 10,000iu/d over more than a year. As safe regular sun exposure should take priority when available there is absolutely no reason for anyone to take supplements throughout the year. Those who are light sensitive can sustain vitamin d status safely with 4000iu/d maximum so a safe upper limit of 10,000iu is somewhat academic.

[Ted Hutchinson]

OHSU Cancer Institute Researcher Finds Drug Combination Helps Halt Prostate Cancer (http://www.sys-con.com/read/338735.htm)

[Ted Hutchinson]

A Prospective Study of Plasma Vitamin D Metabolites, Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms, and Prostate Cancer (http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040103)
Full text online.
Ou data suggest that a large proportion of the US men had suboptimal vitamin D status (especially during the winter/spring season), and both 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D may play an important role in preventing prostate cancer progression. Moreover, vitamin D status, measured by 25(OH)D in plasma, interacts with the VDR FokI polymorphism and modifies prostate cancer risk. Men with the less functional FokI ff genotype (14% in the European-descent population of this cohort) are more susceptible to this cancer in the presence of low 25(OH)D status..., high plasma 25(OH)D level was related to significant 60%70% lower risks of total and aggressive prostate cancer.

When you realise these are Physicians with vitamin d status 77% (winter/spring) had insufficient plasma 25(OH)D levels <32 ng/ml. Optimal levels are around 50 ng/mL (125 nM/L). There seems to be a high incidence of slow learners in the medical profession.

[Ted Hutchinson]

Sun exposure and prostate cancer risk: evidence for a protective effect of early-life exposure. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17548698&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum)Mounting experimental and epidemiologic evidence supports the hypothesis that vitamin D reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Some evidence suggests that prostate cancer risk may be influenced by sun exposure early in life. We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study to examine associations of prostate cancer risk with early-life and adult residential sun exposure and adult sun exposures that were assessed through self-report, physician report, and dermatologic examination. We used solar radiation in the state of birth as a measure of sun exposure in early life. Follow-up from 1971 to 1975 (baseline) to 1992 identified 161 prostate cancer cases (102 nonfatal and 59 fatal) among non-Hispanic white men for whom sun exposure data were available. Significant inverse associations were found for men born in a region of high solar radiation (relative risk, 0.49, 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.90 for high versus low solar radiation), with a slightly greater reduction for fatal than for nonfatal prostate cancer. Frequent recreational sun exposure in adulthood was associated with a significantly reduced risk of fatal prostate cancer only (relative risk, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.99). These findings suggest that, in addition to sun exposure in adulthood, sun exposure in early life protects against prostate cancer. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(6):1283-6).

[Ted Hutchinson]

New research shows vitamin D slashes risk of cancers by 77 percent; (http://www.newstarget.com/021892.html)cancer industry refuses to support cancer prevention One group of women was given calcium (around 1500 mg daily) and vitamin D (1100 IU daily)

I appreciate that women do not get prostate cancer but given the fact we know prostate cancer is linked to sun exposure (vitamin d status) it follows that men using a similar amount of Vitamin d that reduces BC and all cancers by 77% will have a similar impact, if taken daily, on male cancers.

Bear in mind this is Omaha latitude 42 UK is lat 52 800mls further North and UK milk is NOT forified and contains no Vit d. So UK readers need to add to the 1100iu daily vitamin D.

[Ted Hutchinson]

New Paradigms for Advanced Prostate Cancer (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17554403)Proliferation of human prostate cancer cell lines is inhibited by calcitriol, the biologically active form of vitamin D, which also synergizes with chemotherapeutic agents such as docetaxel, pa****axel, cisplatin, and carboplatin.

Clearly being insufficient in Vitamin D3 impacts on the amount of calcitriol circulating. There is no reason for anyone to be Vitamin D insufficient. Regular NON BURNING, limited, full body, sun exposure preferably laying prone and at midday (when UVB<>UVA ratio best) should raise sufficient during the summer months however during the Winter October -March Northern lat above 45 an effective amount of VitD3 cholecalciferol will be needed.

In the UK most of the population are below 75nmol/L in Winter (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/3/860) It takes 400iu to raise status 9-10 nmol/L as 125nmol/L is optimum most people need to raise 50nmol/L and to do that 2000iu/daily will be needed. (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/links.shtml) Using 5000iu capsules from the link provided at my last link is fine as the half life is measured in days rather than hours. So taking 3 x 5000iu =15000/7 = 2100approx daily over the week.
If your status is significantly below 75nmol/L then you need to take more than 2000iu/d up to 10,000/d produces No Observable Adverse Events. (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/1/6) but as 125nmol/L is optimal that represents for the person with absolutely no vitamin D circulating currently 12 x 400iu tablets daily or one x 5000iu daily, There would only be any point in taking 10,000iu if you wanted to raise status quickly. It doesn't make any sense to take that amount for more than a few weeks unless you have specific medical advice from a doctor who is monitoring your status regularly.

[Ted Hutchinson]

Session 5: Non-Traditional Roles of Vitamin D (http://app2.capitalreach.com/esp1204/servlet/tc?cn=asbmr&c=10169&s=20343&e=6950&&)
The session by David Feldman, M.D. discusses the role of vitamin D3 and it's metabolites in Prostate Cancer. You may also be interested in the following session.
Edward Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D.
These are video presentations for a Health Professionals Vitamin D conference so a bit hard going but if you play them through a few times you get the drift.

You can fast forward to the Feldman talk by using the slide preview arrows.

[Ted Hutchinson]

Prostate cancer survival is dependent on season of diagnosis. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17624920)
The seasonal effect on prognosis may be related to the seasonal variations of calcidiol (the marker of vitamin D status). The lack of latitude effect and the similarity of prognosis for different age groups may be related to higher consumption of vitamin D in food in the north region and to increase of such consumption with age.

In the UK on average only one portion of oily fish is eaten every 3 weeks but that doesn't take account of the fact that 70% of the population NEVER eat oily fish ever.
Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon 1,360iu (but this also includes an exceedingly high amount of Vitamin A.
Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces 360iu
Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces 345iu
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces 200iu
Sardines, 1¾ ounces 250iu Best buy the ones in tomato sauce as that way you reduce the amount of omega 6 intake.
But you can see that even if you ate oily fish daily you would not acquire the 4000iu that 20minutes full body sun exposure, laying in the midday sun could provide.

In order for the skin to warm sufficiently to produce Vitamin D3 a minimum erythemal index of 3 is needed. (http://www.temis.nl/uvradiation/UVindex.html)but note these are for clear skies. Cloud cover will block more than 60% of the UVB so particularly in recent weeks (in the UK lat 52) the opportunities for free vitamin D from sunlight have been very limited.

I've been taking 3 x 5000iu Vitamin d3 cholecalciferol weekly (averaging 2000iu/d) hoping to make up the rest of my daily 4000iu usage from the sun when it is available. From the end of September to end of March the angle of the sun (latitude 40+) means very little UVB reaches the ground so then I take 5x5000iu one week followed by 6x5000iu the next to average 4000iu/d over the fortnight, to ensure there is no difference between my Summer/Autumn vitamin D status and the Winter/Spring levels.