Calcium and Colorectal Epithelial Cell Proliferation: A Preliminary Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Calcium carbonate supplements delivering 1200 mg elemental calcium daily may not decrease colonic epithelial cell proliferation over an 8-week period in sporadic adenoma patients. In future trials measuring the LI, consideration should be given to ensuring adequate numbers of scorable crypts and to the impact of inadequate biopsy procedures, labeling failure, reader reliability, and participant withdrawal. Our findings support the feasibility of a full-scale clinical trial to further study the relationships among dietary calcium, colonic epithelial cell proliferation, and colorectal cancer.