British Journal of Cancer
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    Search British Journal of Cancer Help Site Index 26 July 2008 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cancer Research UK


Epidemiology

British Journal of Cancer (2007) 97, 446-451.
doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603892 www.bjcancer.com Published online 10 July 2007

Plasma vitamin D and risk of colorectal cancer: the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study

T Otani1, M Iwasaki1, S Sasazuki1, M Inoue1 and S Tsugane1 for the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Group2

1Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan



Correspondence to: Dr S Sasazuki, E-mail: ssasazuk@gan2.res.ncc.go.jp

2Study group members are listed in Appendix A.

Revised 16 May 2007; accepted 25 June 2007; published online 10 July 2007



We investigated the association between plasma 25(OH)D and the subsequent colorectal cancer incidence risk by a nested case-control study in The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study, covering 375 newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer from 38 373 study subjects during a 11.5-year follow-up after blood collection. Two controls were matched per case on sex, age, study area, date of blood draw, and fasting time. In a conditional logistic regression model with matched pairs adjusted for smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, physical exercise, vitamin supplement use, and family history of colorectal cancer, plasma 25(OH)D was not significantly associated with colorectal cancer in men or in women. However, the lowest category of plasma 25(OH)D was associated with an elevated risk of rectal cancer in both men (odds ratio (OR), 4.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-20) and women (OR, 2.7, 95% CI, 0.94-7.6), compared with the combined category of the other quartiles. Our results suggest that a low level of plasma 25(OH)D may increase the risk of rectal cancer.

Keywords: plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D; colorectal cancer; nested case-control study

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