前列腺癌是欧美国家男性人群中发病率最高的癌症。前列腺癌的病因、预防和治疗自然也是科学家们研究的重点。一些科学家认为维生素D缺乏会增加罹患前列腺癌的风险。迄今为止,已有20个维生素D预防和治疗项目探索遏制前列腺癌的发病。
最近的爱思唯尔期刊《流行病学年鉴》(Annals of Epidemiology)刊登了一篇文章,报道了前列腺癌的维生素D介入疗法的研究进展,集中论述了前列腺癌发病的各个阶段及相应的潜在治疗方法。文章作者指出,对有些维生素D疗法应当开展进一步的临床试验,但迄今为止,研究重点还集中在晚期雄激素非依赖性疾病。
文章指出,维生素D可能有预防前列腺癌的功效,但很多前列腺肿瘤可能需要使用1,25 (OH)2D(和/或类似药物)。使用这类药物的障碍在于存在诱发低血钙症的风险,而采取必要措施步骤能够降低这种风险。
文章得出结论,单独使用大剂量的维生素D或者与其它药物结合使用可能实现对前列腺癌的早期预防,甚至可以预防该疾病的复发。维生素D预防前列腺癌已逐渐从纯科学研究走向临床试验阶段,这为男性带来了福音。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐原始出处:
Annals of Epidemiology,doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.03.007 ,Gary G. Schwartz
Vitamin D and Intervention Trials in Prostate Cancer: From Theory to Therapy
Gary G. Schwartz PhD, MPH, PhD
Studies of vitamin D and prostate cancer have advanced rapidly from the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of prostate cancer to intervention trials of vitamin D administration in clinical cancer. The hormonal form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D, exerts prodifferentiating, antiproliferative, anti-invasive, and antimetastatic effects on prostate cells. Moreover, normal prostate cells synthesize 1,25(OH)2D from serum levels of the prohormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The autocrine synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D by prostatic cells provides a biochemical mechanism whereby vitamin D may prevent prostate cancer. Many prostate cancer cells have lost the ability to synthesize 1,25(OH)2D but still possess 1,25(OH)2D receptors. This suggests that whereas vitamin D (e.g., cholecalciferol) might prevent prostate cancer, existing prostate tumors likely would require treatment with 1,25(OH)2D and/or its analogs. The major obstacle to the use of 1,25(OH)2D in patients therapeutically is the risk of hypercalcemia. Several maneuvers to reduce this risk, including pulse dosing and the use of less calcemic 1,25(OH)2D analogs, have been explored in Phase I-III clinical trials. Once merely a promise, vitamin D-based therapies for prostate cancer may soon be medical practice.