Conversations among survivors and evidence in the literature suggests that there is a positive association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D
Researchers from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America investigated the relationship between survival advantage and vitamin D3 levels in newly diagnosed stage IV prostate cancer survivors.
In their study they looked at 54 men who were treated at their institution and who were newly diagnosed stage IV prostate cancer. The subject survivors underwent the establishment of a baseline of their serum vitamin D3 levels prior to receiving any treatment during the periods of Jan 2008 and Dec 2010.
They defined vitamin D insufficiency as serum levels of <=32 ng/ml. They defines patient survival as the time between date of first patient visit and date of death from any cause/date of last contact. They performed a Cox regression to evaluate the prognostic significance of serum vitamin D3 levels after adjusting for age, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and functional status.The mean age at diagnosis was 59.6 years. During a median follow-up of 23.6 months, 16 deaths occurred. The mean serum vitamin D3 level was 30.1 ng/ml, among whom 38 (70.4%) were insufficient in vitamin D (<=32 ng/ml).1- Mean overall survival was 49.4 months (95% CI: 38.1-60.7).
2- Mean survival was 32.6 months and 62.4 months for men in <=32 ng/ml and >32 ng/ml groups respectively (p = 0.02).
3- On univariate analysis, men with levels >32 ng/ml had a significantly lower risk of mortality compared to those with levels <=32 ng/ml (HR=0.19; 95% CI: 0.04-0.87; p=0.03).
4- On multivariate analysis controlling for age, performance status and PSA, men with levels >32 ng/ml demonstrated significantly lower mortality (HR=0.13; 95% CI: 0.02-1.0; p=0.05) compared to those with levels <=32 ng/ml.The data indicates that higher circulating levels of serum 25(OH)D were positively associated with survival in men with metastatic prostate cancer.These results should be confirmed in additional larger clinical trials, however, given the high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in prostate cancer and the fact that this insufficiency is easily correctable by supplementation, men should have early and continuing vitamin D assessment and intervention for a potential impact on their survival.Citation:
J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl; abstr 5036)
Author(s):
Pankaj G. Vashi, Digant Gupta, Kristen Trukova, Gwendolyn M Lambert, Carolyn Lammersfeld; Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Zion, IL; Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Schaumburg, IL
Joel T. Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.
Joel
Reading this article it is clear that my Vit D level is way too low.
None of my health care providers in Australia have a solution to my falling serum level which has halved despite a supplement dosage of 10 000 IU a day but I know that my HDK treatment is likely to be inhibiting the P450 enzymes which are needed for the metabolism of Vit D compounds.
I am considering upping the daily dose to 100 000 IU which you said in Message 20121 on Aug 25 you took for a while. May I ask how long you took this higher dosage; whether you experienced any side effects and whether I should be concerned about the usual warnings not to exceed 10 000 a day?
Bernard
Bernard, I took that level of Vit D3 with a doctor’s prescription and with is recommendation. I believe that I continued that protocol for 12 to 16 weeks. I did have blood work done monthly and when my serum levels entered into the higher range of normal I cut back to 2,000IU/day. I continue to regularly monitor the vit D level which has maintained itself with the 2,000 units per day. – Joel