SHR

A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators demonstrates that vitamin D can protect some people with colorectal cancer by perking up the immune system's vigilance against tumor cells.

The research, published today by the journal Gut, represents the first time that a link between vitamin D and the immune response to cancer has been shown in a large human population. The finding adds to a growing body of research showing that vitamin D - known as the "sunshine vitamin" because it is produced by the body in response to sunlight exposure - plays a key role in cancer prevention.

American Society of Clinical Oncology Perspective:“In addition to improved survival, high vitamin D levels were associated with a longer time for the cancer to become resistant to chemotherapy, suggesting that vitamin D could slow down the growth of the cancer or enhance the activity of the treatment,” said Smitha S. Krishnamurthi, MD, moderator of today’s presscast and ASCO expert. “Further studies are needed to determine if the improved survival is due to the vitamin D itself or to some other factor associated with having high vitamin D levels.” ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A prospective analysis of data from a phase III study of patients newly diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer indicates that patients with higher vitamin D levels have better outcomes after treatment with chemotherapy and targeted therapy. The median overall survival for patients with the highest vitamin D levels was 32.6 months, compared with 24.5 months for patients with the lowest...