Your body uses vitamin D for a number of functions including regulating your calcium level and in bone production. Studies indicate that this vitamin may also have an important role in cancer treatment. Vitamin D may be effective on its own or in combination with chemotherapy drugs. The research is ongoing, however, and no general medical recommendation has been made regarding supplementation during chemotherapy treatment. Let your doctor decide whether vitamin D should be part of your treatment plan.
Chemotherapy and Vitamin D Deficiency
A 2009 study published in the "International Journal of Colorectal Disease" examined the impact of chemotherapy on the vitamin D status of colorectal cancer patients. There were 315 patients involved in the study, and it was found that those undergoing chemotherapy were 3.7 times more likely to have severe vitamin D deficiency than patients not getting chemotherapy. The researchers concluded that colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy may need vitamin D replacement therapy.
Combination Treatment
A review reported in the "Journal of Cancer" in 2010 by Dr. Yingyu Ma et al., indicated that vitamin D can be used in combination with cytotoxic drugs to fight cancer. Cytotoxic drugs either impair or stop the functioning of a cell in cancer treatment. According to the review, vitamin D may sensitize some cancer cells, making them more susceptible to damage and subsequent destruction by chemotherapy drugs. One example cited is the increased vulnerability of breast cancer cells to the drug doxorubicin.
Vitamin D as Natural Chemotherapy
An April, 2010 news release from the University of Guelph reported the result of research done by Dr. Kelly Mekling of the university's Human Health and Nutritional Science Department. According to Mekling, the protein MARRS, a vitamin D signal receptor, may change the rate of division of cancer cells. Tumor cells with attenuated MARRS activity grow more quickly than tumor cells with regular MARRS activity, but they are more easily killed when they come in contact with therapeutic vitamin D. The anti-tumor activity of vitamin D, coupled with manipulation of the MARRS protein, creates the potential for vitamin D to be considered as a natural alternative to regular chemotherapy, but more research is necessary to establish this possibility.
Dosage is Important
According to Dr. Ma and associates, the anti-tumor effect of vitamin D may only be seen at high doses. While they do not say exactly how high the dose has to be, they quote a clinical trial that established the maximum tolerated dose of vitamin D, or the amount you can take without adverse effects, as 74 mcg/week, almost 3,000 IU, given in intermittent doses or once a week. The research group believes that there is enough evidence to support further study of the use of vitamin D in cancer chemotherapy. There are concerns, however, about using high doses of vitamin D, the fear being that it will trigger hypercalcemia, a condition where there is too much calcium in your blood. Talk to your doctor before you start taking supplements.
References
- "Journal of Cancer"; Vitamin D in Combination Cancer Treatment; Y. Ma; 2010
- "International Journal of Colorectal Disease"; Chemotherapy and Vitamin D; M. Fakih; February 2009
- MedlinePlus: Doxorubicin
- Government of Saskatchewan, Occupational Health and Safety Division: Cytotoxic Drugs
- University of Guelph; Vitamin D Shows Potential as Natural Chemotherapy; News Release; April 29, 2010
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