High vitamin D levels increase survival rates in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Cancer, Volume 121, Issue 13, page 2105, July 1, 2015
Study participants with high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream prior to being treated with chemotherapy and targeted drugs survived longer, on average, than patients with lower levels of the vitamin, according to a study by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.
The study was presented at the 2015 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held in San Francisco, California, from January 15 to 17, 2015. Researchers analyzed data from more than 1000 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who enrolled in a phase 3 clinical trial of chemotherapy plus biologic therapies.
Patients with the highest levels of vitamin D survived for a median of 32.6 months compared with 24.5 months for those with the lowest levels. The authors say their work adds support to the potential role of vitamin D in inhibiting cancer.
Lead author Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says the study is the largest to date to examine the role of vitamin D in colorectal cancer. She and her colleagues did not assess whether there was a biological cause-and-effect relationship between the vitamin and the disease, and she adds that it is too early to recommend vitamin D as a treatment. The researchers are conducting further studies in that area.
The study measured blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, a substance produced in the liver from vitamin D, in 1043 patients when they enrolled in a phase 3 trial of 3 different drug combinations for newly diagnosed, advanced colorectal cancer. Vitamin D levels in the patients ranged from an average of 8 ng/mL in the lowest group to an average of 27.5 ng/mL in the highest group. The average level was 17.2 ng/mL.
On average, patients with the highest vitamin D levels survived 33% longer than those with the lowest levels. Furthermore, higher vitamin D levels were associated with a longer time to disease progression (12.2 months versus 10.1 months). Dr. Ng says she and her colleagues controlled for other healthy lifestyle factors that are associated with higher vitamin D levels including diet, obesity, and physical activity levels.
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See also Vitamin D Life
- After 30 years it still appears that vitamin D deals with colorectal cancer – Oct 2012
- Overview Cancer-Colon and vitamin D
The Meta-analysis of many studies of COLON Cancer and Vitamin D are listed here:
- Deaths from many types of Cancer associated with low vitamin D- review of meta-analyses Sept 2020
- Colorectal cancer treated by Vitamin D – 19th meta-analysis – Sept 2020
- Colon cancer both prevented and treated by Vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2019
- Colorectal cancer is associated with Vitamin D (17 meta-analyses so far) – July 2018
- Colorectal cancer 60 percent less likely: high vs low Vitamin D level – meta-analysis Dec 2016
- Colorectal Cancer recurrence not prevented by 1,000 IU of vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2016
- Risk of Cancer increased if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis of 73 studies Jan 2016
- Colon cancer 30 percent more likely if low vitamin D – 12th meta-analysis Aug 2015
- Colon cancer risk reduced by many vitamins – 13 percent reduction by Vitamin D – meta-analysis Jan 2015
- Cancer (colon, breast, lymph) survival about 2X better with high level vitamin D – meta-analysis July 2014
- Cancer survival 4 percent more likely with just a little more vitamin D (4 ng) - meta-analysis July 2014
- Colorectal and Breast Cancer – Vitamin D is associated with fewer deaths – meta-analysis Feb 2014
- 10 percent of colon cancer linked to Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis April 2012
- Meta-graphs of vitamin D and Cancer – Dec 2011
- Colon cancer probability increases with decreased vitamin D – Meta-analysis July 2011
- Non-cancer colon growths 7 percent less likely with each 10 ng increase in vitamin D – Oct 2011
- Colorectal cancer 26 percent less likely for every 10 ng of vitamin D – meta-analysis Aug 2011
- Colon polyps reduced 15 percent by increasing vitamin D by 20 ng – meta-analysis June 2011
- Meta-analysis of 3 cancers - 10 ng more vitamin D decrease colorectal by 15 percent– May 2010
- Meta-analysis found vitamin D association with colon but not prostate nor breast cancer May 2010