Study of the relationship between colorectal cancer and vit D defficiency

Background Colorectal cancer is currently the third most common cancer in both men and women. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, combined with the discovery of increased risk for certain types of cancer in those who are deficient, suggests that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the development and progression of colon, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Many studies suggest a possible relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk for cancer. Aim of the work The aim of this study was to determine vitamin D status in a sample of Egyptian patients with cancer of the colon. Study design We conducted a case–control study on 40 participants, 20 cases of colon cancer and 20 healthy adults matched for age. The cases were recruited from the general surgery wards and outpatient clinics at Ain Shams University Hospital, before surgical intervention or receiving oncological treatment. All participants were subjected to full medical history taking and thorough clinical examination. Fasting blood samples were drawn in the morning for evaluating haemoglobin, total Ca, phosphorus, Mg++, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, carcinoembryonic antigen, and 25 hydroxyvitamin D. For the patients, chest radiography, pelvic and abdominal ultrasound, and colonoscopy and biopsy were performed. Results Egyptian patients with cancer of the colon showed a statistically significantly lower serum concentration of vitamin D (6.4 ± 3.912 ng/dl) compared with healthy controls (14.4 ± 9.838) ( P = 0.002). There was a highly significant difference between the two groups as regards alkaline phosphatase, with a mean of 381.500 ± 73.721 in patients with cancer of the colon and a mean of 194.300 ± 88.838 in healthy controls ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Vitamin D is lower in Egyptian patients with colorectal cancer, which may point to the possible protective role of vitamin D against cancer colon.