High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency despite supplementation in premenopausal women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.
Crew KD, Shane E, Cremers S, McMahon DJ, Irani D, Hershman DL.
J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 1;27(13):2151-6. Epub 2009 Apr 6.
PMID: 19349547
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2008.19.6162
Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in women with breast cancer. The current recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D is too low to increase serum 25-OHD greater than 30 ng/mL. Optimal dosing for bone health and, possibly, improved survival has yet to be determined.
Prognostic effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in early breast cancer.
Goodwin PJ, Ennis M, Pritchard KI, Koo J, Hood N.
J Clin Oncol. 2009 Aug 10;27(23):3757-63. Epub 2009 May 18.
PMID: 19451439
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2008.20.0725
Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with poor outcomes in breast cancer.
Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis.
Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB, Grant WB, Giovannucci EL, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Holick MF, Garland FC.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;103(3-5):708-11.
PMID: 17368188
CONCLUSIONS: Intake of 2000 IU/day of Vitamin D(3), and, when possible, very moderate exposure to sunlight, could raise serum 25(OH)D to 52 ng/ml, a level associated with reduction by 50% in incidence of breast cancer, according to observational studies.
An ecologic study of dietary and solar ultraviolet-B links to breast carcinoma mortality rates.
Grant WB.
Cancer. 2002 Jan 1;94(1):272-81.
PMID: 11815987
CONCLUSIONS
It is hypothesized that animal products are associated with risk for breast carcinoma because they are associated with greater amounts of insulin-like growth factor-1and lifetime doses of estrogen. Vegetable products contain several risk reduction components including antioxidants and phytoestrogens. The association with latitude is very likely because of solar UV-B radiation and vitamin D. Alcohol modulates estrogen's effects on breasts. Fish intake is associated with risk reduction through vitamin D and n-3 oils. These results are consistent with those of many case-control and cohort studies but should be assessed in well designed cohort studies.
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and the risk of breast cancer.
Chlebowski RT, Johnson KC, Kooperberg C, Pettinger M, Wactawski-Wende J, Rohan T, Rossouw J, Lane D, O'Sullivan MJ, Yasmeen S, Hiatt RA, Shikany JM, Vitolins M, Khandekar J, Hubbell FA; Women's Health Initiative Investigators.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 Nov 19;100(22):1581-91. Epub 2008 Nov 11.
PMID: 19001601
Ecological studies of ultraviolet B, vitamin D and cancer since 2000.
Grant WB, Mohr SB.
Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):446-54. Epub 2009 Mar 9.
PMID: 19269856
CONCLUSION: These findings provide strong evidence that vitamin D status plays an important role in controlling the outcome of cancer. Support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer theory is now scientifically strong enough to warrant use of vitamin D in cancer prevention, and as a component of treatment. More research studies would help to explore whether there are benefits beyond the substantial effects that have been observed.
Robien K, Cutler GJ, Lazovich D.
Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study.
Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Sep;18(7):775-82. Epub 2007 Jun 5.
PMID: 17549593 [PubMed - in process]
ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2009) - A new study has found that the amount of vitamin D in patients being treated for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was strongly associated with cancer progression and overall survival. The results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans.
Also, several recent reports have concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor outcomes in other cancers, including breast, colon and head and neck cancer. This is the first study to look at lymphoma outcome
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 25, 2009 -- Coming on the heels of the publishing in the Annals of Epidemiology of a new study led by Dr. Cedric Garland, on the preventive measures of vitamin D, GrassrootsHealth D*action Project is calling on physicians, health clinics and groups throughout the country to recognize the need for determining vitamin D levels and to ensure the public have their blood levels of vitamin D tested.
According to research from the newly published study by Cedric F. Garland, Dr. P.H., FACE, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Moores Cancer Center of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), "It is projected that raising the minimum year-around serum 25(OH)D level to 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L) would prevent approximately 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, and three quarters of deaths from these diseases, in the US and Canada."
Vitamin D association with estradiol and progesterone in young women.
Knight JA, Wong J, Blackmore KM, Raboud JM, Vieth R.
Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19916051
CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of vitamin D may reduce progesterone and estradiol, providing a potential mechanism for reduction in breast cancer risk from increased vitamin D exposure in young women.
Vitamin D association with estradiol and progesterone in young women.
Knight JA, Wong J, Blackmore KM, Raboud JM, Vieth R.
Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19916051
Conclusions Higher levels of vitamin D may reduce progesterone and estradiol, providing a potential mechanism for reduction in breast cancer risk from increased vitamin D exposure in young women
Comment: Although lower risk associated with vitamin D exposure was shown most consistently for ER+/PR+ tumors, the result might simply reflect that this tumor subtype was the most common. Nonetheless, these findings support vitamin D's beneficial effects on breast cancer risk, regardless of hormone-receptor status. Sun exposure and dietary intake (Table 1) are key sources of vitamin D.
Caution regarding 25-hydroxyvitamin D monitoring in women with breast cancer.
Chlebowski RT.
J Clin Oncol. 2009 Aug 20;27(24):e72-3; author reply e74. Epub 2009 Jul 20.
PMID: 1962047
"ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2009) - Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center."
Scientists funded by the NCI analyzed vitamin D levels in each woman, and the average level was 27 nanograms per milliliter; more than two-thirds of the women had vitamin deficiency. Weekly supplementation with high doses of vitamin D -- 50,000 international units or more -- improved the levels, according to Peppone's study.
The U.S. Institute of Medicine suggests that blood levels nearing 32 nanograms per milliliter are adequate.
What can high-vitamin D foods do for you?
* Help prevent a growing list of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporisis, breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer
* Help keep your bones and teeth strong and healthy
* Regulate the growth and activity of your cells
* Reduce inflammation
What events can indicate a need for more foods rich in vitamin D?
* Bone pain and/or soft bones
* Frequent bone fractures
* Bone deformities or growth retardation in children
"We are aware of substantial scientific evidence supporting the role of vitamin D in prevention of cancer. It has been reasonably established that adequate serum vitamin D metabolite levels are associated with substantially lower incidence rates of several types of cancer, including those of the breast, colon, and ovary, and other sites.
We have concluded that the vitamin D status of most individuals in North America will need to be greatly improved for substantial reduction in incidence of cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that higher vitamin D levels are also associated with lower risk of Type I diabetes in children and of multiple sclerosis. Several studies have found that markers of higher vitamin D levels are associated with lower incidence and severity of influenza and several other infectious diseases."
MedWire News: Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, has been found to induce the tumor-suppressing protein CCAAT enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)α, which can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, researchers report.
This web site is dedicated to vitamin D and cancer. This is because exciting new research indicates that vitamin D-whether produced in the skin as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (from sunlight or sun lamps) or obtained from supplementation with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)-may help cancer patients. However, the research is far from complete.
The vitamin D craze has been building over the last few years, with low levels of the supplement being the blamed as a source of many of our ills. Depression? D can ease it. Chronic pain? Take D. It is said to prevent kidney disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, or even the common cold. Recently, a study linked low vitamin D levels to the rise in Caesarean births.