Vitamin D may have preventive properties against cancer

LONDON, August 23 (SPIS MedWire). Vitamin D may be effective in protecting people from developing cancer. Vitamin D has not been used previously in cancer prevention because the prolonged use that would be needed could lead to osteoporosis or even death. However, a research team at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, designed four different versions of vitamin D and tested them on mice. Dr Gary Posner reported their findings at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington DC this week, on the basis of research published in the journal Carcinogenesis. Two groups of mice were tested: one that was painted with a tumour-inducing chemical and one that was not. After a 20-week treatment period one vitamin D version reduced the incidence of tumours by 28%, and the total number of tumours by 63%. Although the drug has not been tested on humans and...