Association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and gastric adenocarcinoma – a cross sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D is found to have anti-cancer properties. Although the preventive role of vitamin D in cancer is proven, its role in gastric cancer is equivocal. AIM: To evaluate vitamin D deficiency in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and its relationship with the disease characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This single-centre, prospective, cross sectional study was carried out from February 2017 to December 2018. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels of 94 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 94 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were estimated. Among cases, vitamin D levels and disease characteristics such as TNM stage, tumour grade, clinical stage and patient demographics were analysed. RESULTS: The vitamin D levels among cases (13.83 ±5.97 ng/ml) were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) than the control group (29.15 ±4.13 ng/ml). Vitamin D deficiency was found in 88% of cases and in 3% of controls. Among cases, age, T stage and clinical stage had a significant inverse relationship with vitamin D levels. Cases with distant metastasis and cases with pain had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to the cases without distant metastasis and without pain respectively. Other study parameters did not have a significant relationship with vitamin D. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with occurrence of gastric adenocarcinoma and correlates with the disease severity. However, to assign a causal relationship and to study the beneficial effect of vitamin D in gastric cancer, further research is needed.