Oral Cancers - increased risk if low vitamin D or poor vitamin D genes

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Oral microbiota and vitamin D impact on oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinogenesis: a narrative literature review - Jan 2021

Crit Rev Microbiol . 2021 Jan 21;1-24. doi: 10.1080/1040841X.2021.1872487
Paola Zanetta 1, Diletta Francesca Squarzanti 1, Rita Sorrentino 2, Roberta Rolla 3, Paolo Aluffi Valletti 4, Massimiliano Garzaro 4, Valeria Dell'Era 4, Angela Amoruso 5, Barbara Azzimonti 1

An emerging body of research is revealing the microbiota pivotal involvement in determining the health or disease state of several human niches, and that of vitamin D also in extra-skeletal regions. Nevertheless, much of the oral microbiota and vitamin D reciprocal impact in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinogenesis (OPSCC) is still mostly unknown. On this premise, starting from an in-depth scientific bibliographic analysis, this narrative literature review aims to show a detailed view of the state of the art on their contribution in the pathogenesis of this cancer type. Significant differences in the oral microbiota species quantity and quality have been detected in OPSCC-affected patients; in particular, mainly high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida spp. seem to be highly represented. Vitamin D prevents and fights infections promoted by the above identified pathogens, thus confirming its homeostatic function on the microbiota balance. However, its antimicrobial and antitumoral actions, well-described for the gut, have not been fully documented for the oropharynx yet. Deeper investigations of the mechanisms that link vitamin D levels, oral microbial diversity and inflammatory processes will lead to a better definition of OPSCC risk factors for the optimization of specific prevention and treatment strategies.

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Impact of dietary vitamin D on initiation and progression of oral cancer - May 2020

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol . 2020 May;199:105603. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2020.105603. Epub 2020 Jan 22.
Aparajita Verma 1, Vui King Vincent-Chong 1, Hendrik DeJong 1, Pamela A Hershberger 2, Mukund Seshadri 3

Calcitriol, the active metabolite of vitamin D, has been widely studied for its preventive and therapeutic activity against several cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the impact of dietary vitamin D supplementation on initiation and progression of OSCC is unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted preclinical trials using the 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide 4NQO carcinogen model of oral carcinogenesis. Female C57BL/6 mice were maintained on one of three vitamin D diets [25 IU, 100 IU, 10,000 IU] and exposed to 4NQO in drinking water for 16 weeks followed by regular water for 10 weeks. Body weight measurements obtained through the study duration did not reveal any differences between the three diets. Animals on 100 IU diet showed lower incidence of high-grade dysplasia/OSCC and higher CD3 + T cells compared to animals on 25 IU and 10,000 IU diets.

Serum 25OHD3 levels were highest in animals on 10,000 IU diet at week 0 prior to carcinogen exposure but showed ∼50 % reduction at week 26. Histologic evaluation revealed highest incidence of OSCC in animals maintained on 10,000 IU diet. Animals on 100 IU and 10,000 IU diets showed higher vitamin D receptor VDR and CYP24A1 immunostaining in high-grade dysplastic lesions and OSCC compared to normal tongue. Validation studies performed in a 4NQO-derived OSCC model showed that short-term treatment of animals on a 25 IU diet with calcitriol significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to controls but did not affect tumor growth in animals on reference diet 1000 IU. Collectively, our results highlight the complex dynamics between vitamin D status and oral carcinogenesis. Our observations also suggest that therapeutic benefits of short-term calcitriol treatment may be more pronounced in vitamin D deficient hosts.

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Role of vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in oral cancer - Jan 2019

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. Volume 109, January 2019, Pages 391-401 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.102
NazaninFathiabElhamAhmadiancShahriarShahicLeilaRoshangarbHaroonKhandMaryamKouhsoltanieSolmazMaleki DizajcfSiminSharific
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Highlights

• This review paper focuses on the role of vitamin D and VDR on oral cancer.
• Oral cancer chemoresistance and its relation with VDR are discussed.
• Mechanisms of anticancer effects of calcitriol are reviewed.
• Polymorphisms in VDR gene, cancer risk and prognosis in oral cancer are mentioned.

Oral cancer is known as one of the most common cancers, with a poor prognosis, related to delayed clinical diagnosis, either due to the lack of particular biomarkers related to the disease or costly therapeutic alternatives. Vitamin D executes its functions by interacting with the vitamin D receptor (VDR), both in healthy and diseased individuals, including oral cancer. This review discusses the role of vitamin D and VDR on tumorigenesis, emphasizing on oral cancer. Furthermore, regulation of VDR expression, mechanisms of anticancer effects of calcitriol, oral cancer chemoresistance and its relation with VDR and polymorphisms of VDR gene will be discussed. The manuscript is prepared mainly using the information collected from PubMed and MEDLINE.

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Serum levels of 25‐hydroxy‐vitamin D in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: Making a case for chemoprevention - April 2020

Clinical and Experimental Dental Research. First published: 04 April 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.294
Samuel E. Udeabor Abdullah M. Albejadi Waleed A. K. Al‐Shehri Chidozie I. Onwuka Saeed Y. Al‐Fathani Abdullah A. Al Nazeh Saleh F. Aldhahri Faleh A. Alshahrani
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Objectives
Serum level of vitamin D has been used as a predictor for cancer development. We intend to measure the baseline vitamin D level in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to compare same with non‐cancer controls to determine any association.

Materials and methods
Patients with OSCC presenting to our clinics were included in this study. Their baseline serum vitamin D levels were measured prior to cancer treatment after obtaining their consents. These patients were then matched with at least 2 cancer‐free subjects to serve as controls and whose serum vitamin D levels were also measured. The serum vitamin D levels obtained for the two groups were then categorized into normal (>35 ng/ml), mild deficiency (25–35 ng/ml), moderate deficiency (12.5–25 ng/ml), and severe deficiency (<12.5 ng/ml). The data were analyzed statistically and the two groups compared.

Results
A total of 51 patients with OSCC (Male 22 43% and female 29 57%) and 113 cancer‐free controls (Male 36 [31.86%] and female 77 [68.14%]) were included in the study. The commonest site for OSCC was the tongue, accounting for 45% of the cancer cases. Mean age for cancer patients was 59.33 years ±12.54 and 49.24 years ±15.79 for the control. Among the OSCC patients, 74.51% had moderate to severe vitamin D deficiencies, whereas only 20.35% had a moderate deficiency in the control group with no severe deficiency.

Conclusion
Logistic regression analysis shows a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and OSCC risk especially in levels below 25 ng/ml. This further corroborates the assertion that vitamin D deficiency may be a useful indicator of OSCC. It may, therefore, be necessary to routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements to subjects with moderate to severe deficiencies in order to decrease the chances of OSCC development.

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See also VitaminDWiki

• 3X higher risk of oral cancer if CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 genes were different – May 2012
• Oral cancer risk and vitamin D status, intake, and supplementation - review May 2013
• The risk of 44 diseases at least double with poor Vitamin D Receptor as of Oct 2019

Cancer category starts with the following

• Cancer 282 items Overview Cancer and vitamin D
• Cancer and Vitamin D - many studies
• After Cancer Diagnosis 110 items
• Bladder Cancer 26 items
• Breast Cancer 252 items Overview Breast Cancer and Vitamin D
• Colon Cancer 141 items Overview Cancer-Colon and vitamin D
• Leukemia 19 items
• Liver Cancer 17 items
• Lung Cancer 54 items Overview Lung cancer and vitamin D
• Lymphoma Cancer 25 items
• Other Cancer 66 items
• Ovarian Cancer 25 items
• Pancreatic Cancer 55 items
• Prostate Cancer 101 items Overview Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D
• Skin Cancer 120 items Overview Suntan, melanoma and vitamin D
• Childhood Cancers - Vitamin D can help - many studies
• Easiest way to treat cancer – take Vitamin D – Nov 2022
• 13 Cancers are helped by Vitamin D – Biobank July 2023
• 2X increase of 14 cancers in non-seniors in 20 years (low vitamin D) – Sept 2022
• Vitamin D prevents and treats cancer in many ways – May 2021
• Those with recent cancer diagnosis had 7X increased risk of COVID-19 (more if A-A )- Dec 2020
• Deaths from many types of Cancer associated with low vitamin D- review of meta-analyses Sept 2020
• Cancer incidence and mortality is decreased if 40-60 ng of Vitamin D – April 2019
• 8 ways that Cancer might be prevented by Vitamin D - June 2019
• Cancer stem cells and Vitamin D - many studies
• Vitamin D Reduces Cancer Risk - Why Scientists Accept It but Physicians Do Not - Feb 2019
• Overview of Vitamin D Actions in Cancer – 31 page chapter in a book – 2018
• Vitamin D prevents breast cancer, reduces BC mortality, and reduces BC chemotherapy problems – Sept 2018
• Diagnosed with breast cancer – take vitamin D to cut chance of death by half – July 2018
• Melanoma 25 X more likely if low vitamin D – Feb 2018
• Better Cancer survival if higher vitamin D a decade earlier (esp. Melanoma, Kidney, Prostate)– Aug 2018

Cancers get less Vitamin D when there is a poor Vitamin D Receptor

• Vitamin D Receptor pages in VitaminDWiki with CANCER in title 86 as of July 2023
• Cancer and the Vitamin D Receptor, a primer – Sept 2017
• Vitamin D Receptor (Cancers OR Viruses) - many studies
• Risk of Cancer increased if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis of 73 studies Jan 2016
• Cancer (general) and VDR 23 articles
• Breast Cancer and VDR 22 articles
• Colon Cancer and VDR 13 articles
• Prostate Cancer and VDR 7 articles
• Skin Cancer and VDR 10 articles
  • Note some Health problems, such as some Cancers, protect themselves
    by actively reducing Receptor activation

Items in both categories Cancer and Genetics are listed here: