A sufficient amount of vitamin D helps in the treatment of breast cancer

"The new findings show continued benefits for patients who maintain adequate levels of vitamin D beyond and during breast cancer treatment," said Song Yao, lead author of the research team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York. The study also found that black women had the lowest levels of vitamin D, which may explain their poorer treatment outcomes after a breast cancer diagnosis. Some doctors believe that these findings could provide a simple and new way to fight breast cancer. Vitamin D is found in some foods and is also produced on human skin by exposure to sunlight. In this study, approximately 4,000 patients who had their vitamin D levels checked and followed for approximately 10 years participated. Patients were divided into three groups: vitamin D deficiency (less than 20 ng/ml in blood test); insufficient (20 to 29 ng/ml); and adequate (30 ng/ml or more). The findings showed that women with adequate vitamin D levels had a 27% lower risk of dying from breast cancer over 10 years. The team also found that the association between vitamin D levels and breast cancer treatment outcomes was similar regardless of tumor estrogen receptor (ER). The association appears to be somewhat stronger among patients with lower body weight and those with more advanced breast cancer. news source