Associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D status and vitamin D supplementation use with mortality due to 18 frequent cancer types in the UK Biobank cohort

Abstract

Background: Although the associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and vitamin D supplementation with total cancer mortality are well-known, evidence regarding the association of 25(OH)D and cancer site-specific mortality is predominantly limited to common cancer types, and most studies on vitamin D supplementation use have limitations on sample size and the adjustment of important confounding factors. Methods: We used cause-specific Cox regression models adjusted for 48 covariates to assess the associations of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and vitamin D supplementation use with mortality from any cancer and 18 specific cancers in 411,436 United Kingdom Biobank participants, aged 40–69 years. Results: The majority of the study population had either vitamin D deficiency (21.1%) or insufficiency (34.4%). Furthermore, 4.1% and 20.3% of the participants regularly took vitamin D or multivitamin supplements, respectively. During a median follow-up of 12.7 years, vitamin D deficiency was associated with significantly increased mortality from total cancer and four specific cancers: stomach (hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.42, 1.05–1.92), colorectal (1.27, 1.07–1.50), lung (1.24, 1.10–1.40), and prostate (1.36, 1.06–1.75). Vitamin D insufficiency was associated with increased colorectal (1.14, 1.00–1.30) and lung cancer mortality (1.19, 1.08–1.32). Compared to non-users, vitamin D use was associated with lower lung cancer (0.75, 0.60–0.95) and total cancer mortality. Multivitamin use was associated with lower mortality from melanoma (0.64, 0.43–0.97). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were associated with increased mortality from multiple common cancers. The potential to reduce cancer mortality by vitamin D supplementation in populations with low 25(OH)D levels should be further explored.