Clinical outcomes of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation in cancer patients

Results of recent studies suggest that circulating levels of vitamin D may play an important role in cancer‐specific outcomes. The present systematic review was undertaken to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L) and insufficiency (25–50 nmol/L) in cancer patients and to evaluate the association between circulating calcidiol (the indicator of vitamin D status) and clinical outcomes. A systematic search of original, peer‐reviewed studies on calcidiol at cancer diagnosis, and throughout treatment and survival, was conducted yielding 4,706 studies. A total of 37 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Reported mean blood calcidiol levels ranged from 24.7 to 87.4 nmol/L, with up to 31% of patients identified as deficient and 67% as insufficient. The efficacy of cholecalciferol supplementation for raising the concentration of circulating calcidiol is unclear; standard supplement regimens of <1,000 IU/D3 day may not be sufficient to maintain adequate concentrations or prevent decreasing calcidiol. Dose‐response studies linking vitamin D status to musculoskeletal and survival outcomes in cancer patients are lacking.
Source: Nutrition Reviews - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: Special Article Source Type: research