前列腺癌是歐美國家男性人群中發(fā)病率最高的癌癥,。前列腺癌的病因,、預防和治療自然也是科學家們研究的重點,。一些科學家認為維生素D缺乏會增加罹患前列腺癌的風險,。迄今為止,，已有20個維生素D預防和治療項目探索遏制前列腺癌的發(fā)病,。
最近的愛思唯爾期刊《流行病學年鑒》（Annals of Epidemiology）刊登了一篇文章,，報道了前列腺癌的維生素D介入療法的研究進展,，集中論述了前列腺癌發(fā)病的各個階段及相應的潛在治療方法,。文章作者指出,，對有些維生素D療法應當開展進一步的臨床試驗,，但迄今為止，研究重點還集中在晚期雄激素非依賴性疾病,。
文章指出,，維生素D可能有預防前列腺癌的功效,，但很多前列腺腫瘤可能需要使用1,25 (OH)2D（和/或類似藥物）。使用這類藥物的障礙在于存在誘發(fā)低血鈣癥的風險,，而采取必要措施步驟能夠降低這種風險,。
文章得出結論,，單獨使用大劑量的維生素D或者與其它藥物結合使用可能實現(xiàn)對前列腺癌的早期預防,，甚至可以預防該疾病的復發(fā),。維生素D預防前列腺癌已逐漸從純科學研究走向臨床試驗階段,，這為男性帶來了福音。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
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.
