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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2011 Sep 1;102(5):382–389. doi: 10.1007/BF03404181

Calcium and Vitamin D and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Results From a Large Population-based Case-control Study in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario

Zhuoyu Sun 114, Peizhong Peter Wang 114,214,✉, Barbara Roebothan 114, Michelle Cotterchio 314, Roger Green 414, Sharon Buehler 114, Jinhui Zhao 114, Josh Squires 114, Jing Zhao 114, Yun Zhu 114, Elizabeth Dicks 414, Peter T Campbell 514, John R Mclaughlin 614, Patrick S Parfrey 414
PMCID: PMC6973686  PMID: 22032106

Abstract

Background: Previous epidemiological studies have been suggestive but inconclusive in demonstrating inverse associations of calcium, vitamin D, dairy product intakes with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We conducted a large population-based comparison of such associations in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Ontario (ON).

Methods: A case control study design was used. Colorectal cancer cases were new CRC patients aged 20–74 years. Controls were a sex and age-group matched random sample of the population in each province. 1760 cases and 2481 controls from NL and ON were analyzed. Information on dietary intake and lifestyle was collected using self-administered food frequency and personal history questionnaires.

Results: Controls reported higher mean daily intakes of total calcium and total vitamin D than cases in both provinces. In ON, significant reduced CRC risk was associated with intakes of total calcium (OR of highest vs. lowest quintiles was 0.57, 95% CI 0.42–0.77, pbtrend=0.03), total vitamin D (OR=0.73, 95% CI 0.54–1.00), dietary calcium (OR=0.76, 95% CI 0.60–0.97), dietary vitamin D (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.99), total dairy products and milk (OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.60–1.00), calcium-containing supplements use (OR=0.76). In NL, the inverse associations of calcium, vitamin D with CRC risk were most pronounced among calcium- or vitamin D-containing supplement users (OR=0.67, 0.68, respectively).

Conclusions: Results of this study add to the evidence that total calcium, dietary calcium, total vitamin D, dietary vitamin D, calcium- or vitamin D-containing supplement use may reduce the risk of CRC. The inverse associations of CRC risk with intakes of total dairy products and milk may be largely due to calcium and vitamin D.

Keywords: Calcium, vitamin D, dairy products, colorectal cancer

Footnotes

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team Grant [CIHR-CPT79845] and Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team in Interdisciplinary Research on Colorectal Cancer Studentship [205835]. Zhuoyu Sun was awarded by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research through a Master’s fellowship. Jing Zhao was supported by a trainee award from the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute with funds provided by The Terry Fox Foundation Strategic Health Research Training Program in Cancer Research at CIHR.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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