Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies

Abstract Background The link between vitamin D and cancer remains inconclusive. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults using data from two large prospective cohort studies. Methods Baseline serum...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sihan Song, Hae Dong Woo, Jieun Lyu, Bo Mi Song, Joong-Yeon Lim, Hyun-Young Park
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:Nutrition Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01146-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849767372736430080
author Sihan Song
Hae Dong Woo
Jieun Lyu
Bo Mi Song
Joong-Yeon Lim
Hyun-Young Park
author_facet Sihan Song
Hae Dong Woo
Jieun Lyu
Bo Mi Song
Joong-Yeon Lim
Hyun-Young Park
author_sort Sihan Song
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The link between vitamin D and cancer remains inconclusive. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults using data from two large prospective cohort studies. Methods Baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured in a subset of participants from the Cardiovascular Disease Association Study (2005–2012) and the Health Examinees Study (2009–2013). We followed 46,514 adults aged ≥ 40 years who consented to linkage with national cancer registry data. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer incidence according to quartiles of season-standardized 25(OH)D levels. Results The median season-standardized 25(OH)D level was 45.6 nmol/L (interquartile range: 33.6–59.7 nmol/L). During the median follow-up of 10.6 years, 3,529 incident cancer cases were recorded. Compared with the first quartile, the upper quartiles of serum 25(OH)D were associated with a lower risk of overall cancer [HR (95% CI): 0.86 (0.77–0.95), 0.84 (0.75–0.93), and 0.80 (0.72–0.89), respectively; P for trend < 0.001]. For site-specific cancers, the HRs (95% CIs) for the comparison of extreme quartiles of serum 25(OH)D were 0.72 (0.52–0.99) for colorectal cancer, 0.32 (0.21–0.50) for liver cancer, and 0.75 (0.55–1.04) for lung cancer. Upon categorization of serum 25(OH)D levels based on absolute cut-off points, participants with levels ≥ 75 nmol/L had significantly lower risks of overall, liver, and lung cancers compared with those with levels < 30 nmol/L. Conclusions These findings suggest that higher 25(OH)D levels are associated with a lower risk of overall and some site-specific cancers in the Korean population. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
format Article
id doaj-art-5241033f9a0f44a28b2ea1ba50835f89
institution DOAJ
issn 1475-2891
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Nutrition Journal
spelling doaj-art-5241033f9a0f44a28b2ea1ba50835f892025-08-20T03:04:15ZengBMCNutrition Journal1475-28912025-05-0124111210.1186/s12937-025-01146-0Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studiesSihan Song0Hae Dong Woo1Jieun Lyu2Bo Mi Song3Joong-Yeon Lim4Hyun-Young Park5Division of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institute of HealthDivision of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institute of HealthDivision of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institute of HealthDivision of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institute of HealthDivision of Population Health Research, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institute of HealthNational Institute of HealthAbstract Background The link between vitamin D and cancer remains inconclusive. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults using data from two large prospective cohort studies. Methods Baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured in a subset of participants from the Cardiovascular Disease Association Study (2005–2012) and the Health Examinees Study (2009–2013). We followed 46,514 adults aged ≥ 40 years who consented to linkage with national cancer registry data. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer incidence according to quartiles of season-standardized 25(OH)D levels. Results The median season-standardized 25(OH)D level was 45.6 nmol/L (interquartile range: 33.6–59.7 nmol/L). During the median follow-up of 10.6 years, 3,529 incident cancer cases were recorded. Compared with the first quartile, the upper quartiles of serum 25(OH)D were associated with a lower risk of overall cancer [HR (95% CI): 0.86 (0.77–0.95), 0.84 (0.75–0.93), and 0.80 (0.72–0.89), respectively; P for trend < 0.001]. For site-specific cancers, the HRs (95% CIs) for the comparison of extreme quartiles of serum 25(OH)D were 0.72 (0.52–0.99) for colorectal cancer, 0.32 (0.21–0.50) for liver cancer, and 0.75 (0.55–1.04) for lung cancer. Upon categorization of serum 25(OH)D levels based on absolute cut-off points, participants with levels ≥ 75 nmol/L had significantly lower risks of overall, liver, and lung cancers compared with those with levels < 30 nmol/L. Conclusions These findings suggest that higher 25(OH)D levels are associated with a lower risk of overall and some site-specific cancers in the Korean population. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01146-0Vitamin D25-hydroxyvitamin DCancer incidenceCancer registry dataCohort study
spellingShingle Sihan Song
Hae Dong Woo
Jieun Lyu
Bo Mi Song
Joong-Yeon Lim
Hyun-Young Park
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
Nutrition Journal
Vitamin D
25-hydroxyvitamin D
Cancer incidence
Cancer registry data
Cohort study
title Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
title_full Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
title_fullStr Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
title_full_unstemmed Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
title_short Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of overall and site-specific cancers in Korean adults: results from two prospective cohort studies
title_sort serum 25 hydroxyvitamin d levels and risk of overall and site specific cancers in korean adults results from two prospective cohort studies
topic Vitamin D
25-hydroxyvitamin D
Cancer incidence
Cancer registry data
Cohort study
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01146-0
work_keys_str_mv AT sihansong serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies
AT haedongwoo serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies
AT jieunlyu serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies
AT bomisong serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies
AT joongyeonlim serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies
AT hyunyoungpark serum25hydroxyvitamindlevelsandriskofoverallandsitespecificcancersinkoreanadultsresultsfromtwoprospectivecohortstudies