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Scrutinizing the evidence for breast
cancer procedures and treatments
Supplement Strategies - Vitamin D3
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Got Vitamin D?

Breast cancer patients with low vitamin D levels had a 73
percent higher risk of death than women who were vitamin D-
sufficient. This study was released by University of Toronto
researchers (Goodwin, 2008).

Women with low levels of Vitamin D had more aggressive tumors.

The women were diagnosed between 1989 and 1996 and followed
until 2007, on average 12 years.

Overall survival (death from other causes) was also vastly
better in the Vitamin D-sufficient group.

Other researchers also reported triple negative breast cancer
patients had the lowest levels of vitamin D. (Rainville, 2009).

For the last ten years we have been advocating high dose
Vitamin D for breast cancer patients because early studies
strongly indicated Vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated
with breast and certain other cancers.

But now more studies are piling up to support the initial findings.
Vitamin D supplements are available from health food stores but
pharmaceutical companies are patenting altered vitamin D molecules
for potential use as a drug.

Cedric Garland, DrPH, has done research suggesting Vitamin D blood
levels should be used as a breast cancer screening tool. See his
video interview on the left side of the page.
















More:

    At an April 2006 cancer conference, evidence was presented
    that the risk of breast cancer was reduced by 50% when vitamin
    D in the blood was 52 nanograms per milliliter, which equals to
    no less than 1000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day
    whether in the diet or in supplements.  The average person only
    gets 310 IU a day. (Evidence of Need for Increasing Dietary
    Vitamin D in Food.  Abstract 4008 - AACR Conference.)

    We are indebted To Dr. John Cannell of The Vitamin D Council
    for his inspiring presentation to the Cancer Control Society in
    2005. The highlights of the Council's research on Vitamin D and
    breast cancer are summarized below.

  • Researchers (from St. Georges Hospital medical School in
    London) found women who had vitamin D receptor
    positive tumors had longer disease free intervals than
    women whose tumors had no measurable receptors for
    vitamin D. Lancet. 1989 Jan 28;1(8631):188-91. In 1997,
    researchers at the Manchester Royal Infirmary discovered
    that women with the highest levels of activated vitamin D
    (calcitriol) in their blood had the best prognosis. Those
    women with the lowest levels had a more rapidly fatal
    course.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Jan;82(1):118-22.

    In other words, if you test vitamin D deficient breast
    cancer patients for vitamin D receptors, they will not have
    many; if you treat their deficiency, they will probably
    develop those receptors.

  • Blood Vessel Blocker. Not only does the active form of
    vitamin D inhibit breast cancer cells from growing, it
    makes those cells grow and die more like natural cells.
    Furthermore, vitamin D inhibits the formation of excessive
    blood vessel growth around the cancerous tumor, a
    process called anti-angiogenesis. Braz J Med Biol Res.
    2002 Jan;35(1):1-9.

  • Latitude Counts. In the 1990's, a group of scientists from
    the University of California at San Diego found that women
    in the sunniest regions of the USA were about half as
    likely to die from breast cancer as were women who lived
    in less sunny regions. When the same researchers looked
    at the USSR, before that country dissolved, they found
    that women who lived in the sunniest regions were three
    times less likely to develop breast cancer than were the
    women who lived in regions without as much sun. Prev
    Med. 1990 Nov;19(6):614-22.Int J Epidemiol. 1990 Dec;19(4):
    820-4.


    According to the landmark work of R. Vieth in the American
    Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1999, 2001), the RDA for Vitamin D is
    antiquated, and during a sunny day total body sun exposure may
    make 10,000 units. Giving volunteers 4,000 IU in winter
    produced no adverse calcium levels in blood or urine.  

The Life Extension Foundation agrees, suggesting breast
cancer patients may take between 4000 to 6000 IU, of
vitamin D3 per day.  Periodic blood tests are needed.  
Keep your physician advised of your dosage regimen.


    These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.  The
    supplements discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
    This website is intended as information only. The editors of this site are not medically-
    trained. Please consult your licensed health care practitioner before implementing any
    health strategy. The information provided on this site is designed to support, not replace,
     the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician.
    This site accepts no advertising. The contents of this site are copyrighted 2004-2010 by
    Breast Cancer Choices, Inc. Contact us with comments or for reprint permission at:
    admin@breastcancerchoices.org  Web page updated January 5,  2010.


The risk of dying
of breast cancer
was 73 percent
higher in women
with too-low levels
of vitamin D
versus women in
the optimal range.

Vitamin D3 is the
natural human
form of vitamin D
made in the skin
when cholesterol
reacts with
sunlight.  

Do not confuse D3
with D2 which may
be found in small
amounts in
multivitamins.


Can Vitamin D
levels be used as
a breast cancer
screening
tool?

Watch Dr. Cedric
Garland's
video

Low levels of
vitamin D levels
such as 400- 800
units have not
proven effective in
many studies using
Vitamin D
therapeutically.
.
.
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Toronto
Vitamin D Deficiency Seminar
Speakers
Symposium 2009 in Print

click here
Not absorbing Vitamin D orally?
Some physicians recommend
Vit D injections.