Vitamin K2 May Inhibit Liver Cancer

OSAKA, Japan--Vitamin K2 may deter the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study published in the July 21 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (292, 3:358-361, 2004) (http://jama.ama-assn.org). The study was originally launched to assess the long-term effects of vitamin K2 on bone loss in women with viral liver cirrhosis; however, study participants also met the necessary criteria for examination of the effects of the vitamin on the progression of liver cancer.

In the study, 40 women diagnosed with viral liver cirrhosis were admitted to a university hospital between 1996 and 1998 and randomized to a treatment or control group. The treatment group received 45 mg/d of vitamin K2. Participants in both the treatment and control groups received symptomatic therapy to treat ascites (accumulation of serous fluid in the spaces between tissues and organs in the abdominal cavity), if needed, and dietary guidance.

Hepatocellular carcinoma was identified in two of the 21 women given vitamin K2 and nine of the 19 women in the control group. The risk ratio for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients administered vitamin K2 was 13 percent after adjustment for factors such as age, platelet count and serum albumin.

The scientists concluded there is a possible role for vitamin K2 in the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in women with viral cirrhosis. The results of the trial support previous research indicating vitamin K2 may play a role in controlling cell growth.