Significance and Relation of Vitamin D Levels in Head and Neck Cancers

Abstract

Abstract Background: Vitamin D and its metabolites reduce the incidence of various cancers including head and neck SCC by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, stimulating mutual adherence of cells, and enhancing intercellular communication, thereby strengthening the inhibition of cellular proliferation. Epidemiologic and case-control studies have demonstrated that low vitamin D levels are associated with head and neck SCC risk. Some studies showed that patients with HNSCC who received vitamin D at the time of diagnosis had diminished peripheral blood and intratumoral levels of immunosuppressive CD34+ cells and increased levels of mature dendritic cells. In addition, they showed the quantitative increase of the immune cells within the HNSCC tissue following vitamin D treatment. Aim: to investigate the significance and relation of vitamin D levels in head and neck cancers.