Breast Cancer and Sunlight
France's version of the National Institute of Health recently reported on a research study they had done involving 67, 000 French women, 8,9000 of whom had suffered from breast cancer. This study was designed to see if exposure to sunlight could be linked to breast cancer rates in any way. It turns out that women who lived in the sunniest areas of southern France were 50% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer when compared to average rates. The researchers also looked at eating habits and vitamin D consumption, and found those women who received the majority of their vitamin D from sunlight instead of diet where 32% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Geographical data reveals that women living in the sunny American Southwest have lower breast cancer rates than women living in the darker Northeast, and national breast cancer rates have been negatively correlated to distance from the equator (closer to the equator means more hours of sunlight). A study from Norway even found that women diagnosed with breast cancer in summer had better survival rates than those diagnosed in the winter, presumably because extra sunlight in the early stages of the disease can be decisive.
High Vitamin D Intake Needed to Reduce Cancer Risk
In February 2011, researchers at San Diego School of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine published results of another study that reported higher intake of vitamin D is required to reach blood levels that can markedly prevent the incidence of breast cancer and other major diseases. Dr. Cedric Garland of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, said, “We found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000-8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range required to reduce the risk of several diseases - breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.” The study investigators noted that it will soon become common for adults to take 4000IU/day, and virtually everyone can take additional vitamin D to help prevent major types of cancer and other major illnesses.
While the IOM committee set the recommended daily intake of vitamin D at 600IU/day, it states that the 4000IU/day is a safe dose.
Conflicts in the Data
One Canadian study that measured vitamin D in the blood of women with breast cancer found that those with relatively high levels had a 50% reduction in their 12-year all-cause mortality rates compared to those with the lowest levels. Another report in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention discussed research showing that patients with low amounts of vitamin D in their bloodstreams had more aggressive tumors and a higher risk of future breast cancer recurrence. There are some recent examples of research studies showing a positive connection between vitamin D and decreased breast cancer risk; but there are several other studies that have been done over the years that have produced similar results.
On the other hand, there have been many other studies that have not been able to find a connection between vitamin D and breast cancer prevention. This has naturally caused confusion and skepticism. But a 2008 report published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology may have revealed the key reason for the discrepancy between different studies. This meta-analysis of other studies found no protective effect for vitamin D against breast cancer in most cases. However, it did find a positive effect when the breast cancer rates of those with the highest levels of vitamin D in their bloodstreams were compared to women who had the lowest.
More Varied Research is Needed
It must be admitted there is a certain incompleteness in the research data on the vitamin D – breast cancer connection. For example, there is no clear recommendation that emerges about just exactly how much vitamin D would be needed to deliver significant protective effects. In part, this may be because cancer researchers have been too focused on drug-based approaches to treating breast cancer and have not put enough effort into really looking closely at the possibilities offered by natural substances and nutrients. This seems to have started changing, however, which may be why the general evidence supporting a positive connection between vitamin D and breast cancer rates now appears to be getting stronger.
Effect of Vitamin D Supplements on Joint Pain and Fatigue in Women with Breast Cancer
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency can contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms and some bone loss in postmenopausal women taking adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. The suboptimal levels of vitamin D can be supplemented safely with 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 each week that may significantly reduce bone and joint pains resulting from treatment.
Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level and request supplementation to improve your symptoms. The new research is promising and every breast cancer patient must get additional supplementation to alleviate symptoms of fatigue and pain.
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