Vitamin D Levels Linked to Breast-Cancer Prognosis May 15 2008 Women who are vitamin D deficient when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to have their disease spread and are more likely to die than women who have adequate vitamin D levels, new Canadian research says. The study found that women who were vitamin D deficient were 94 per cent more likely to have their cancer metastasize (spread) and 73 per cent more likely to die. The research was led by Dr. Pamela Goodwin, a breast cancer researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. The study analyzed blood samples and disease outcome from more than 500 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1989 and 1995. Women were followed up for an average of 11 years. The study found that when they were diagnosed with breast cancer: -only 24 per cent of subjects had sufficient levels of vitamin D (defined as more than 72 nanomoles per litre). -more then 37 per cent were considered to be vitamin D deficient (defined as less than 50 nanomoles per litre). -The research showed that women who were deficient in vitamin D were more likely to have aggressive forms of breast cancer. The study also found that 69 per cent of women deficient in vitamin D had their disease metastasize, while 74 per cent were still alive 10 years later. Yet among those with adequate vitamin D levels, 83 per cent of women did not have their cancer spread and 85 per cent were still alive after 10 years. Dr. Reinhold Veith of Mount Sinai Hospital, said that vitamin D is a crucial part of normal cell function. "Vitamin D is a basic that cells need to function properly. If you take that away they don't behave properly and are at greater risk of becoming cancerous." Previous studies have linked low levels of vitamin D with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Because breast cancer tumours have vitamin D receptors, the vitamin can slow the growth rate of cancer cells and make them less aggressive, the researchers said. Time to test your Vitamin D levels? Goodwin said that it is too early to tell all women with breast cancer to increase their vitamin D intake. However, women may want to have their blood levels of vitamin D measured and, if they are low, supplement to bring them up to the acceptable level of 72 nanomoles per litre. However, if her findings are confirmed in a second study, the next step will be to test how raising vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients might affect their prognosis. "I think it would be very worthwhile to see if improving those vitamin D levels will lead to improved breast cancer outcomes," Goodwin said. "Can we really reduce the risk of recurrence in half by increasing vitamin D levels into the clinically adequate range? That would be very interesting question and a very important question to answer." People get most of their vitamin D from sunlight. After being exposed to the sun, the skin produces vitamin D, which is then converted to its active form by the kidney. Vitamin D is also easy to get from nutritional supplements. Daily recommendations for vitamin D intake vary, but the average recommendation is 1,000 international units (IU). Every 1,000 IU of vitamin D translates to a 25 nanomole per litre increase of vitamin D in the blood. Carole Baggerly is one breast cancer patient who swears by vitamin D. She was diagnosed with breast cancer more than three years ago, and had a mastectomy followed by both radiation and chemotherapy. The 65-year-old San Diego resident had her vitamin D level measured two years after her diagnosis, and found it to be very low. Her doctors told her she had osteoporosis, which is also linked to low vitamin D levels. Baggerly started taking 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day for her bones and to improve her chances of staying cancer-free. "To be able to reduce this with nothing more than vitamin D, as opposed to having to take some of these very toxic, other drugs, I think is extremely exciting and should be very exciting to every woman," Baggerly said. She now runs a website, www.grassrootshealth.org, where she extols the virtues of vitamin D. "It's so easy, it's simple, it's cheap, it's almost risk free, and if people knew about it they would be healthy," Baggerly said http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080515/vitaminD_cancer_080515/20080515?hub=TopStories Approximately one in four patients who suffer from chronic pain also have inadequate blood levels of vitamin D, possibly contributing to their ongoing pain, according to a new study. Am Soc of Anesthesiologists, Nov 2007 The first part of this is from Naturalhealthconsult.com Below that, check out all the studies showing the efftect of D3 on cancer, particularly breast cancer. One study claims it's more effective than Taxol. Vitamin D3 appears to be more closely related to a hormone than a vitamin because of the many cellular functions it performs. Among its actions is the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Vitamin D3 works synergistically with Vitamin A to control cancer by inducing certain cancer cells to differentiate into normal cells and to stop multiplying uncontrollably. This effect is so pronounced that drug companies are working on patentable analogs for cancer therapy. Among the cancers that Vitamin D3 has been shown to be effective against are colorectal, breast, prostate, ovarian, and several kinds of leukemia and lymphoma. CAUTIONS Anyone taking more than 1300 IU's per day should have periodic blood tests performed to be sure that not too much Calcium is being absorbed. DOSE Cancer patients should take 4000 to 6000 IU's per day. Everyone should get at least 15 to 30 minutes of sunshine directly on the skin at least 3 times per week. Adequate quantities of phytochemicals from vegetables and fruits, together with essential fatty acids, help prevent skin cancer, as does Vitamin D itself. Peer reviewed medical studies below Thanks to Lynne for compiling much of this information. |
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