This volume provides a comprehensive, highly readable overview of the topics discussed at the First International Symposium on "Vitamin D Analogs in Cancer Prevention and Therapy" held in Homburg/Saar, Germany in May 2002. Leading researchers discuss our present knowledge of the vitamin D system in cancer. Topics range from the newest findings in molecular biology, epidemiology, synthesis and metabolism of vitamin D to new concepts for the use of vitamin D analogs in  cancer prophylaxis and treatment. The book provides essential up-to-date information for every researcher or clinician interested in the biology of vitamin D or cancer.

1 Molecular Biology of Vitamin D

Evolution and Function of Vitamin D
Current Understanding of the Function of the Nuclear Vitamin D Receptor in Response to Its Natural and Synthetic Ligands
Approaches to Evaluating the Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Breast Cancer Risk
Ligand Structure-Function Relationships in the Vitamin D Endocrine System from the Perspective of Drug Development (Including Cancer Treatment)
Antiproliferative Signalling by 1,25(OH)2D3 in Prostate and Breast Cancer Is Suppressed by a Mechanism Involving Histone Deacetylation
Mechanisms Implicated in the Growth Regulatory Effects of Vitamin D Compounds in Breast Cancer Cells
Squamous Cell Carcinomas Fail to Respond to the Prodifferentiating Actions of 1,25(OH)2D: Why?
A Novel Vitamin D-Regulated Immediate-Early Gene, IEX-1, Alters Cellular Growth and Apoptosis
Extrarenal Sites of Calcitriol Synthesis: The Particular Role of the Skin
Cultured Rat Growth Plate Chondrocytes Express Low Levels of 1a-Hydroxylase
Gene Amplification and Splice Variants of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 1, ?-Hydroxylase (CYP27B1) in Glioblastoma Multiforme-A Possible Role in Tumor Progression?
Regulation of the 25-Hydroxyvitamin D-1?-Hydroxylase Gene and Its Splice Variant
Combination of Vitamin D Metabolites with Selective Inhibitors of Vitamin D Metabolism
Importance Of Cytochrome P450-Mediated Metabolism in the Mechanism of Action of Vitamin D Analogs
2 The Vitamin D System in Cancer
The Role of Vitamin D in Prostate Cancer
Vitamin D Autocrine System and Prostate Cancer
Analysis of the Vitamin D System in Cervical Carcinomas, Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer
Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Colon Cancer Cells: The Vitamin D Receptor-Butyrate Connection
Analysis of theVitamin D system in Cutaneous Malignancies
3 Antitumor Effects of Vitamin D Analogs
Evaluation of Vitamin D Analogs as Therapeutic Agents for Prostate Cancer
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Studies of the A-Ring-Modified 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Analogs
Induction of Apoptosis by Vitamin D Metabolites and Analogs in a Glioma Cell Line
Vitamin D Analogs and Breast Cancer
A Low-Calcemic Vitamin D Analog (Ro 25-4020) Inhibits the Growth of LNCaP Human Prostate Cancer Cells with Increased Potency by Producing an Active 24-Oxo Metabolite (Ro 29-9970)
Prospects for Vitamin D receptor Modulators as Candidate Drugs for Cancer and (Auto)immune Diseases
The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Anticancer Activity of Vitamin D
4 Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention
Ecologic Studies of Solar UV-B Radiation and Cancer Mortality Rates
Phytoestrogens and 17b-Estradiol Influence Vitamin D Metabolism and Receptor Expression-Relevance for Colon Cancer Prevention
Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of 1a-hydroxy-24-ethyl-Cholecalciferol (1a[OH]D5) in Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy
Regulation of Extrarenal Vitamin D Metabolism as a Tool for Colon and Prostate Cancer Prevention
Modulation of X-ray-Induced Apoptosis in Human Keratinocytes (HaCaT) by 1, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3.