Calcium, lycopene, vitamin D and prostate cancer
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Letter to the Editor Calcium, Lycopene, Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer To the Editor: Evidently the field of prostate cancer prevention and treatment is moving so rapidly that the recent paper by Hegarty et al. [1], based on a conference, missed several important points. The primary omis- sion is any discussion of the role of milk in its etiology. Seven recent epidemiologic studies found that milk, especially the non-fat portion, not fat, had the highest dietary association with prostate cancer incidence and mortality [2]. An ecologic study on prostate cancer mortality in 41 countries ecologic study shows that dietary fat, with an r 2 of 0.5, is likely only a confound- ing factor to the non-fat portion of milk, which has an r 2 of 0.7 [2]. For 13 countries with <6 kCal/day of tomatoes in the national diet, an r 2 of 0.92 was found non-fat milk for those aged 65–74 years [2]. In addi- tion, a number of studies have shown that tomatoes, with lycopene the active agent, is protective against prostate cancer [3]. This result was also confirmed by the ecologic study in Ref. 2. Although the epidemiologic studies provide strong evidence that the non-fat portion of milk contributes to the etiology of prostate cancer, the mechanism in- volved is not understood. It has been hypothesized that calcium in milk reduces the amount of circulating vitamin D [4]. Epidemiologic studies generally show an inverse relationship between circulating vitamin D and prostate cancer incidence [5]. This result may ex- plain why African-Americans have nearly twice the prostate cancer rate of white Americans [5]. A recent review of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer reports that a metabolite of vitamin D, calcitrol (1,25dihyroxycholacalciferol), has almost always reduced the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro [5]. Clinical and in vivo studies have shown re- duction in serum PSA levels or in the rate of increase in serum PSA levels. Since vitamin D is used in the metabolism of calcium, the results reviewed in Ref. 5 generally support the calcium-vitamin D hypothesis [4]. However, further work is required to confirm this hypothesis. These recent epidemiologic studies strongly sup- port the hypothesis that diet and sun exposure are the primary controllable factors in the etiology of prostate cancer. These studies also suggest that even after de- velopment of prostate cancer, diet and sun exposure may help combat it. William B. Grant, PhD 12 Sir Francis Wyatt Place Newport News, VA 23606-3660 E-mail: [email protected] REFERENCES 1. Hegarty NJ, Fitzpatrick JM, Richie JP, Scardino PT, deVere White RW, Schroeder FH, Coffey DS. Future prospects in pros- tate cancer. Prostate 1999;40:261–268. 2. Grant WB. An ecologic study of dietary links to prostate cancer, Alt Med Rev 1999;4:162–169. http://www.thorne.com/ altmedrev/.fulltext/4/3/162.html. 3. Giovannucci E. Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene, and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:317–331. 4. Giovannucci E. Dietary influences of 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D in relation to prostate cancer: a hypothesis. Cancer Causes Control 1998;9:567–582. 5. Konety BR, Johnson CS, Trump DL, Getzenberg RH. Vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Semin Urol Oncol 1999;17:77–84. The Prostate 42:243 (2000) © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transcript of Calcium, lycopene, vitamin D and prostate cancer
Letter to the Editor
Calcium, Lycopene, Vitamin D andProstate Cancer
To the Editor:Evidently the field of prostate cancer prevention
and treatment is moving so rapidly that the recentpaper by Hegarty et al. [1], based on a conference,missed several important points. The primary omis-sion is any discussion of the role of milk in its etiology.Seven recent epidemiologic studies found that milk,especially the non-fat portion, not fat, had the highestdietary association with prostate cancer incidence andmortality [2]. An ecologic study on prostate cancermortality in 41 countries ecologic study shows thatdietary fat, with an r2 of 0.5, is likely only a confound-ing factor to the non-fat portion of milk, which has anr2 of 0.7 [2]. For 13 countries with <6 kCal/day oftomatoes in the national diet, an r2 of 0.92 was foundnon-fat milk for those aged 65–74 years [2]. In addi-tion, a number of studies have shown that tomatoes,with lycopene the active agent, is protective againstprostate cancer [3]. This result was also confirmed bythe ecologic study in Ref. 2.
Although the epidemiologic studies provide strongevidence that the non-fat portion of milk contributesto the etiology of prostate cancer, the mechanism in-volved is not understood. It has been hypothesizedthat calcium in milk reduces the amount of circulatingvitamin D [4]. Epidemiologic studies generally showan inverse relationship between circulating vitamin Dand prostate cancer incidence [5]. This result may ex-plain why African-Americans have nearly twice theprostate cancer rate of white Americans [5]. A recentreview of vitamin D in the prevention and treatmentof prostate cancer reports that a metabolite of vitaminD, calcitrol (1,25dihyroxycholacalciferol), has almostalways reduced the growth of prostate cancer cells in
vitro [5]. Clinical and in vivo studies have shown re-duction in serum PSA levels or in the rate of increasein serum PSA levels. Since vitamin D is used in themetabolism of calcium, the results reviewed in Ref. 5generally support the calcium-vitamin D hypothesis[4]. However, further work is required to confirm thishypothesis.
These recent epidemiologic studies strongly sup-port the hypothesis that diet and sun exposure are theprimary controllable factors in the etiology of prostatecancer. These studies also suggest that even after de-velopment of prostate cancer, diet and sun exposuremay help combat it.
William B. Grant, PhD12 Sir Francis Wyatt Place
Newport News, VA 23606-3660E-mail: [email protected]
REFERENCES
1. Hegarty NJ, Fitzpatrick JM, Richie JP, Scardino PT, deVereWhite RW, Schroeder FH, Coffey DS. Future prospects in pros-tate cancer. Prostate 1999;40:261–268.
2. Grant WB. An ecologic study of dietary links to prostate cancer,Alt Med Rev 1999;4:162–169. http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/4/3/162.html.
3. Giovannucci E. Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene,and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature. J Natl CancerInst 1999;91:317–331.
4. Giovannucci E. Dietary influences of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D inrelation to prostate cancer: a hypothesis. Cancer Causes Control1998;9:567–582.
5. Konety BR, Johnson CS, Trump DL, Getzenberg RH. Vitamin Din the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Semin UrolOncol 1999;17:77–84.
The Prostate 42:243 (2000)
© 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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