A study that was just presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America has found that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in cancer patients regardless of their nutritional status.
In the study, 737 consecutive cancer patients, who were seen at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America between January and June of 2008, were evaluated for their nutritional status. This status was categorized as either well-nourished or moderately malnourished or severely malnourished.
The average patient was 55 years old and the most common types of cancer scene were lung and breast and colon.
They were quite surprised to find that vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in cancer regardless of the patient’s nutritional status.
Carolyn Lammersfeld, who was the principal investigator in the study was quoted as saying "While emerging evidence suggests the protective role of vitamin D and cancer, vitamin D status is not routinely assessed in cancer patients despite the high prevalence of malnutrition in this population."
MY COMMENTS: This study exactly reflects what I have found in my own practice of medicine and which I relate in my book. The majority of new cancer patients who come to me for integrative medicine are significantly deficient in vitamin D. In addition, to this day in June 2009, I have not had one cancer patient, come from an oncologist, with an already measured vitamin D level.
It comes as no surprise to me that the vitamin D levels of the patients in the study was not related to their general nutritional status. I have said clearly in my book as well as over and over on my website that food is not a good source of vitamin D. Therefore it should have been no surprise to these researchers that the poorly nourished patients had no more or less vitamin D than the well-nourished patients. As we know, vitamin D is not a vitamin. It is a hormone!. Food is not a great way to get vitamin D so that is why nutritional statud did not predict the patients’ vitamin D level.
I concur with the authors of this study with a strong recommendation that vitamin D levels be assessed in cancer patients. That is one of the reasons that I wrote my book- to bring this to the attention of all people and hopefully they will bring the book to their doctors and their doctor will begin to measure vitamin D levels on their entire practice.
Super post, Need to mark it on Digg
Thank you
Zoran
Pretty good post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say
that I’ve really liked browsing your posts. Anyway
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!
I am a 40 year old wf and have been told by my physician that I have very low level of vitamin D, way below normal. I spent 3 months since then taking mega dose of D every week and was just retested and am on the very low end of normal. I was told to keep taking the megadose every other week for another 6 months. Should I be worried I have cancer? Should I get screened? Does it make sense to take the extra D prescribed by my doctor when I have seen some negative studies about taking vitamin D supplements?
Jennifer
Depending on weight and other genetic factors some people will have trouble getting their Vitamin D blood tests up to normal or optimal. Their levels in my opionion should be followed until they rise to optimal however.
The other possibility is that the vitamin D pills that you are taking are not fully potent. Are you taking the prescription green pills of high-dose vitamin D? Or are you getting them at a health food store?
As you know from my book I’ve been working with patients with low vitamin D levels for many years. To date with proper treatment as I outline in my book I have never had trouble getting a patient’s levels up to normal or optimal.
I’m not sure what negative studies about vitamin D you are reading, but the only negatives with vitamin D will come with overdose, or in their use in granulomatous diseases. E.g. tuberculosis.
I look forward to hearing back from you on your replies to my several questions.
Dr. Soram
I am very low in Vit. D, but have a hard time taking this. It seems that I feel bloated. I also have acid reflux disease and I can’t take really big, hard-surfaced pills. Today, I went to a Health store and bought some Vit. D3 in little gel caps; 1,000IU(as colecalciferol from wool oil) Also bougth something called Osteo Density Blend, a liquid. It has 200 IU of Vit. D, 750 mcg. of Calcium and 300mg of Magnesium
I would like to take a multi-vitamin. I am a 63 yr. old female and right now I have Osteoarthritis in my right knee; have had a back and shoulder operation in past years.
I tend to get a bloated (tight feeling) in my stomach. I don’t know if it is the Vit. D., Calcium, Magesium or what.
I do need to get the Vit. D into me because I am very, very low according to my doctor. I think he said I need 2,000 IU. I am just afraid of future problems with the absorption of calcium deposits or anything else that could happen.
Thank you, doctor. I hope I didn’t confuse you.
Linda
Linda
You are asking a lot of questions all at once.
1) Vitamin D rarely upsets the stomach. I have never seen it. It may be the excipients in the brand of Vitamin D you bought.
2) If the drop agree with you then stay with them but get a blood test after a few months, as I advise in my book.
3) you did not tell me your weight or your age but normally 2000 IU is not enough to raise an otherwise healthy adults Vitamin D level very much but will maintain it or raise it slightly. Please see my book for more details.
4) Calcium and Magnesium are KNOWN for upsetting the stomach so that may be what is going on for you.
I hope that help
Dr Soram
awesome post! glad i found your site, it was on accident though =/ check mine out if you want. im still really working on it but it should be great soon
Thanks Linda!
I am trying to keep my readers up to date on the latest in Vitamin D !
Dr Soram
I am a 54 yr old female diagnosed a couple of yrs ago with Osteopenia by my OB/GYN. Recently my primary care physician thought to test my Vitamin D levels & they were extremely low. She started me on prescription Vitamin D 3 weeks ago (the green ones, dosage is once/week, 50,000 units each).
I noted that you remarked that Vitamin D rarely causes stomach upset. But after the second pill in the second week, I definitely had stomach pains and (what I call) a generally messed up digestive system for a number of days – just in time for another pill. I don’t know if I can continue with this, especially if it will get worse with each weekly dose. I will do whatever it takes to get my Vitamin D levels up, but I don’t want to fix one thing and break another.
How long does it generally take to go from extremely low to normal? And will getting a controlled dose of sunshine each day help to make this happen faster? (I am caucasion living in Southern Louisiana, USA).
Great questions Karla!
The green prescription pills are NOT D3 but are D2 which I do not recommend.
Try real D3 with NO preservatives or additives and you should have NO stomach problems.
Your other questions are good but would take a book to answer them all! In fact I did write a book which answers them all! Please read my book!
I am a 38 year old female who was diagnosed with melanoma 8 years ago. Luckily, I’ve had no metastasis. However, I am now pretty vigilant with sunscreen and worry about vitamin D in both myself and my children (ages 8, 3 and 19 months). I have recently read several articles regarding the benefits of vitatmin D supplements. What are your recommendations on dosage and should I also start my children on a vitamin D supplement?
Deb for children over 1 year old without a blood test and no other medical conditions we know that 1000 IU per day is safe.
It would be best for you to get a Vitamin D blood test with your doctor, or an at-home test kit from my website to see where your own level is since you avoid the sun.
There are more recommendations in Chapter 5 of my book.
Dr. Soram