Question of the Week # 124

Q124) A 50 year old man comes for regular health checkup. His family history is significant for colon cancer in his grandfather at the age of 70 and prostate cancer in his father at age 75. His mother had breast cancer at age 65. The patient recently underwent colonoscopy which was normal. During his visit, he asks you if there are any pills or medications that he could use to prevent cancer.  Which of the following have been shown to prevent cancer in a prospective clinical trial?

A)     Vitamin D

B)      Selenium

C)      Beta Carotene

D)     Finasteride

E)      Vitamin B-complex

8 Responses

  1. D

  2. A

  3. Vitamin D for prevention of colon cancer

  4. ddd

  5. The question is all cancer not just prostate

  6. Vit D has been shown to prevent cancers and especially the colon and breast cancer, have also some effect in reducing prostate, pancreatic and other rare cancers.

  7. Trials are conflicting and inconclusive from preventive stand point. There is no clear recommendation for cancer prevention using any of the above but vitamin D has been shown in prospective studies to prevent cancer. By cancer I mean colorectal cancer, breast and prostate cancer.
    Most of us are aware of the role of antioxidants and hormones on cancers but calcium is the salient patron of cellular replication. Nucleoplasm calcium signal is indispensable in cell growth, proliferation and cell differentiation. Vitamin D and PTH are the major regulators of calcium homeostasis. This is not a convincing argument to support Vitamin D prophylaxis for cancer but meta-analysis observation and prospective studies have shown reduction in cancer risk.
    Ma Y, Zhang P, Wang F, et al, ” Association between Vitamin D and risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review of prospective studies” Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2011;29(28): 3775- 3782.
    Gandhini S, Boniol M, Haukka J, et al, ” Meta-analysis of observational studies of serum 25-hydroxyVit D levels and colorectal, breast, prostate and colorectal adenoma” International Journal of Cancer, 2011;128(6): 1414-1424.

  8. The prospective trial they r probably referring to is PCPT-prostate cancer prevention trial-RCT-and shown to marginally decrease prostate cancer

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