Latest Research Highlights: Vitamin D and Reduced Mortality Among Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 2020

Prediagnostic Circulating Concentrations of Vitamin D Binding and Survival among Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Chen Yuan, Mingyang Song, Yin Zhang, Brian M Wolpin, Jeffrey A Meyerhardt, Shuji Ogino, Bruce W Hollis, Andrew T Chan, Charles S Fuchs, Kana Wu, Molin Wang, Stephanie A Smith-Warner, Edward L Giovannucci, Kimmie Ng

Members of our research group earlier reported that, among patients with colorectal cancer, higher vitamin D levels in blood were associated with lower overall mortality.  Building upon this finding, we investigated the relationship between vitamin D binding protein – which attaches to vitamin D and helps transport metabolites of the vitamin – and survival among patients with colorectal cancer using blood samples  provided by  participants in the HPFS and NHS collected in the 1990s. Men and women with higher levels of vitamin D binding protein had a significant decrease in overall mortality and mortality relating to colorectal cancer, compared with those with lower levels of the protein.  These findings provide further insight on the potential benefit of vitamin D in treating colorectal cancer.