Vitamin D and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Risk in Adults: A Review

ABSTRACT

Animal and human studies support a protective effect of vitamin D sufficiency related to malignancy by uncovering paracrine and autocrine effects of extra-renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) activation including regulation of cell cycle proliferation, apoptosis induction, and increased cell differentiation signaling. Recent epidemiologic studies demonstrate a reduction in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk with increased sunlight exposure. As sunlight is a major vitamin D source, it has been suggested that vitamin D status may mediate this observed association. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of the current epidemiologic evidence with regard to the investigation of an association between vitamin D status and NHL risk.

Keywords: :

• Lymphoma
• Vitamin D
• Epidemiology
• Ultraviolet radiation
• Etiology

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by a hematology training grant award from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute [T32 HL007152]; the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Clinical Scholar Program; the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources [UL 1 RR024160]; and the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute [P50 CA130805].

Declaration of interest The authors declare no competing financial interests, corporate involvement, or patent holdings.