Advanced stage cancer 3X more likely if low level of vitamin D – March 2012

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Widespread in Cancer Patients and Correlates With Advanced Stage Disease: A Community Oncology Experience.

Nutr Cancer. 2012 Mar 27.
Churilla TM, Brereton HD, Klem M, Peters CA.
Source
a The Commonwealth Medical College , Scranton , Pennsylvania , USA.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to correlate serum vitamin D levels with potential clinical variables and to determine the extent of vitamin D deficiency in a large, outpatient oncology practice. One hundred ninety-five consecutive patients referred for consultation at a community radiation oncology center from October 8, 2008 to March 17, 2010 had vitamin D levels ordered. Patients who were deficient in vitamin D were treated with replacement therapy. Demographic and medical data were collected prospectively and subsequently analyzed. Pretreatment baseline patient and tumor characteristics were evaluated with respect to vitamin D concentrations. One hundred and sixty patients were analyzed.

A total of 74% of patients had 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations considered either deficient (<20 ng/mL) or suboptimal (20-30 ng/mL). Replacement therapy raised serum vitamin D levels by an average of 15 ng/mL (95% CI = 11-18, P < 0.01).

Lower than median serum vitamin D levels were associated with stage III disease in univariate analysis [OR = 2.6 (95% CI = 1.1-6.2), p = 0.04] as well as multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and season of draw [OR = 3.3 (95% CI = 1.1-9.7), P = 0.03].

Three-quarters of patients in our series had suboptimal or deficient circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Low serum vitamin D levels, independent of age, sex, and body mass index, predicted advanced stage disease.
PMID: 22452722

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See also Vitamin D Life

• Overview Cancer and vitamin D
• All items in After Cancer Diagnosis and vitamin D84 items