Sunshine May Protect Prostate

Vitamin D, Which Sun Provides, Seems To Prevent Prostate Cancer

(WebMD)  Brooks warns that the current study does not prove vitamin D deficiency causes prostate cancer. It's too soon, he says, for people to start taking vitamin D in hopes of cutting their risk.

"Ten years ago we thought higher levels of vitamin A would help prevent cancer, but now we know it ups the risk of lung cancer," Brooks says. "This is interesting science, but until a randomized clinical trial is done, it will not change our recommendations to patients."

Schwartz says scientists are only beginning to recognize the importance of vitamin D.

"My feeling is we are getting a better sense of vitamin D-deficiency diseases," he says. "Prostate cancer does seem to resemble rickets in this regard. We prevented rickets by putting vitamin D in milk. There is hope we could prevent prostate cancer using the same kind of approach."

Sources: John, E.M. Cancer Research, June 15, 2005; vol 65: pp 1-10. Gary G. Schwartz, PhD, associate professor of cancer biology and public health science; and director, prostate cancer center of excellence, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. Jay Brooks, MD, chief of hematology/oncology, Ochsner Clinic, Baton Rouge, La.