Vitamin D Improves Survival with Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Treatment

Vitamin D from a combination of dietary sources and sun exposure appears to improve the survival of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 75% to 80% of all lung cancers. Standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer largely depends upon the stage or extent of spread of the cancer and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or targeted therapy.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that comes from dietary supplements, foods such as fortified milk and cereal and certain kinds of fish (including salmon, mackerel and tuna) as well as sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight stimulates vitamin D production in the skin. Vitamin D is hypothesized to play a role in the prevention of some types of cancer.

To assess the relationship between vitamin D and survival with non-small cell lung cancer, researchers evaluated 456 early-stage NSCLC patients. After a median of six years of follow-up, these patients experienced 161 cancer recurrences and 231 deaths. Information about vitamin D exposure was collected from the patient s diet as well as the time of year during which the patient had surgery. Patients who had surgery during the summer were expected to have higher vitamin D levels than patients who had surgery in the winter.

The researchers found that season of surgery appeared to influence survival.

• Among patients who had surgery in the summer, 53% survived for at least five years without a recurrence, compared to 40% of patients who had surgery in the winter.

• Level of dietary vitamin D alone did not affect survival, but the combination of dietary vitamin D and season of surgery did affect survival.

• The probability of surviving for five years without a cancer recurrence was 56% among patients with high dietary intake of vitamin D and surgery in the summer, compared to 23% among patients with low dietary intake of vitamin D and surgery in the winter.

The researchers concluded that high vitamin D exposure from a combination of dietary sources and sun exposure may improve non-small cell lung cancer survival.

Reference: Zhou W, Suk R, Liu G et al. Vitamin D is associated with improved survival in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 2005;14:2303-9.