Researchers Say More Aggressive Vitamin D Supplementation Needed In Obese Cancer Patients

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness;  Nutrition / Diet;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 16 Jun 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Body mass index (BMI) should be taken into account when assessing a cancer patient's vitamin D status, according to researchers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), who found that obese cancer patients had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to non-obese patients.

The association between vitamin D and obesity remains unsettled with studies reporting conflicting findings on the relationship between the two. This association assumes even greater importance in cancer because of the alleged role of vitamin D in cancer.

"Currently, the dietary recommendations for vitamin D do not take into account a patient's BMI," said Carolyn Lammersfeld, national director of nutrition for CTCA and a principal investigator in the study. "We investigated the relationship between vitamin D and BMI in a large sample of cancer patients and found that as BMI groups increased from normal to overweight or obese classifications, there was a significant decrease in vitamin D."

The researchers evaluated a group of 740 cancer patients seen at CTCA from January 2008 to June 2008. Of the 740 patients, 303 were male and 437 female, with a mean age at presentation of 55.7 years (SD = 10.2). The mean BMI was 27.9 kg/m2 (SD = 6.7). The most common cancers were lung (134, 18.1%), breast (131, 17.7%), colorectal (97, 13.1%), pancreatic (86, 11.6%), prostate (45, 6.1%) and ovarian (39, 5.3%). The mean vitamin D (serum 25(OH)D) was 21.9 ng/ml (SD = 13.5).

The study concluded that obese cancer patients (BMI >=30 kg/m2) had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to non-obese patients (BMI <30 kg/m2). BMI should be taken into account when assessing a patient's vitamin D status and more aggressive vitamin D supplementation should be considered in obese cancer patients, researchers determined.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Founded in 1988, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix.

Source: Cancer Treatment Centers of America