Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Could vitamin D increase the risk of leukemia?

Could Low vitamin D increase the risk of leukemia?
                          By: Honor Whiteman
                                        Web: Medical News Today
                                        Published: January 7, 2016

               URL of article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/304797.php

For the past three years, a group of scientists analyzed data from The Global Cancer database to see whether or not the amount of vitamin D in one’s body decreases one’s risks of leukemia. These scientists looked at leukemia cancer data from people that lived all over the world. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Scientists believe that genetic and environmental factors play a part in causing leukemia, but scientists are still not sure what is causing this type of cancer. Some studies have identified low levels of vitamin D in patients with leukemia. The body’s strongest source of vitamin D is sunlight. The scientists doing this study wanted to look at data from cancer patients to see if there was any connection between leukemia and where leukemia patients live. These scientists looked at leukemia rates for 172 countries in 2012. Their results demonstrated that people living farther away from the equator and in sunnier parts of the world had less of a chance of being diagnosed with leukemia. They found that higher rates of leukemia could be found in countries where the sun does not shine as much. This study might mean that increased vitamin D through sunlight would help prevent the development of leukemia.  

I disagree with this article because I feel there isn’t enough evidence to support this group of scientists hypothesis. I believe that environmental factors do play a part in causing leukemia or any type of cancer, but I do not think that something so simple as vitamin D is the answer. I’m skeptical. I felt like there wasn’t enough data analyzed to support the fact that low vitamin D might be the cause of leukemia. I believe there should have been more information taken in and studied by the scientists and put into the article. I also believe they should have looked at cancer data that covered multiple years instead of just one year.

7 comments:

  1. I agree with you, there isn't enough evidence to say its true. But, if it is true, the discovery could save a lot of lives. I like how you explained why you don't agree and what they should do to try to find the truth. I really like it. Good Job.

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  3. I disagree with this article as well. I don't think that they took enough time to think this whole theory through enough. I do believe that the scientists re getting one step closer to finding the real reason behind this. I think the evidence is strong, but not strong enough. Great job on your writing, your opinion was great!

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  4. I agree with you that the article has a lack of evidence needed to support the answer. If there isn't enough evidence of a claim, then there is no way to know by reading the article if its true or not. I like how you explained that you believed that there was a lack of evidence, and you explaind how, with the evidence you found too.

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  5. I do agree with you though, this article had lack of evidence. But I liked how you went around it and made the best of it! Great job!

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  6. I agree that the article did not provide enough evidence to be proved right. I had no idea that leukemia was a cancer in the blood. Very interesting I must say so myself. Great job :)

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  7. I agree that the article did not provide enough evidence to be proved right. I had no idea that leukemia was a cancer in the blood. Very interesting I must say so myself. Great job :)

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