Study suggests that maintaining normal vitamin D levels may benefit patients with advanced skin cancer

Medical Xpress / Wiley / Cancer ^ | April 24, 2023 | Łukasz Galus, MD et al

[ConservativeMind]

New research indicates that for patients with advanced skin cancer, it may be important to maintain normal vitamin D levels when receiving immunotherapy medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Vitamin D has many effects on the body, including regulation of the immune system. To see whether levels of vitamin D might impact the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors, investigators analyzed the blood of 200 patients with advanced melanoma both before and every 12 weeks during immunotherapy treatment.

A favorable response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors was observed in 56.0% of patients in the group with normal baseline vitamin D levels or normal levels obtained with vitamin D supplementation, compared with 36.2% in the group with low vitamin D levels without supplementation. Progression‐free survival—the time from treatment initiation until cancer progression—in these groups was 11.25 and 5.75 months, respectively.

"Of course, vitamin D is not itself an anti-cancer drug, but its normal serum level is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system, including the response that anti-cancer drugs like immune checkpoint inhibitors affect," said lead author Łukasz Galus, MD. "In our opinion, after appropriately randomized confirmation of our results, the assessment of vitamin D levels and its supplementation could be considered in the management of melanoma."

[ConservativeMind]

This is behind a paywall, but was done on people using anti-PD1 therapy and it appears Vitamin D deficiency was the issue, not the need to supplement high doses, if already into the normal range.

[ConservativeMind]

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List
This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20 - 25% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

[PGR88]

Vitamin D seems to help everything.

Is there any harm that too much of it causes?

[ConservativeMind]

Yes, there are issues with “too much,” but the impact varies and sometimes can be self-identified.

One study showed women with blood levels over 32 ng/ml had a 6.2% reduction in sleep quality (you would know if this happened). Another shows that triglycerides increased 13 mg/dL and total cholesterol went up by 3.6 mg/dL when normalizing overweight people with 23.5 ng/mL to 30.6 ng/mL.

Other issues start to increase beyond 40 - 50 ng/mL.

Can there be benefit to even higher amounts? Possibly, but potential negatives keep piling in, too.

My last Vitamin D was 34 ng/mL, and I aim for 30 - 40 ng/mL.

[PGR88]

My last Vitamin D was 34 ng/mL, and I aim for 30 - 40 ng/mL.

If I may ask, what daily dosage maintains you at that level?

Also, I had a doctor prescribe D2, while most supplements are D3. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[ConservativeMind]

D3 is best, unless your doctor said you has some reason for D2. You could call to confirm.

My daily average from supplements is 2,850 IUs. Outdoor time and foods or drinks can add to that.

With Vitamin D, I take a D3 5,000 IU gelcap every other day.

Vitamin D averages out in the blood over weeks, so you don't need it every day, like B-vitamins.

Hope that helps!

[metmom]

This has been known for decades.

And they need to do a new *study* to *discover* it. Again.

[metmom]

D2 is from a vegetable source and needs to be converted to D3. D3 is better as it is far more available to the body immediately as it doesn’t need to be converted. D2 is generally considered inferior, which is why it’s scarce. Apparently, it’s the preferred for for die hard vegans.

Sunlight is the best source. Diet is next, then supplements.

[Magic Fingers]

“Sunlight is the best source.”

Conversion of sunlight to D3 in the skin is poor in the elderly.

[Magic Fingers]

“One study showed women with blood levels over 32 ng/ml had a 6.2% reduction in sleep quality (you would know if this happened). Another shows that triglycerides increased 13 mg/dL and total cholesterol went up by 3.6 mg/dL when normalizing overweight people with 23.5 ng/mL to 30.6 ng/mL.”

Do you happen to have links to either study (or both)?
TIA!

[TTFX]

When the blood level of vitamin d is 32 ng/ml the body starts deactivating it. That’s why I believe that’s the optimal level.

I haven’t found any publication where people with a blood level of 32 ng/ml increased their levels through a supplement and received a benefit.

The highest possible blood level through sun exposure, for almost everybody, is 60 ng/ml.

There are more kidney stones in people with a blood level of 50 ng/ml.

Excess vitamin d reduces vitamin k and gamma tocopherol. It probably also reduces or increases absorption of some food components.

[TTFX]

Also, I had a doctor prescribe D2, while most supplements are D3.

- - - - - - -

Fire your doctor.

D2 lasts less.

D3 is human vitamin d. D2 is mushroom’s vitamin d. If aliens turn you into a mushroom, take D2.

[TTFX]

A doctor wanted her clients to have a vitamin d level of 60 ng/ml. It caused a vitamin b deficiency.

She writes:

Improvements in sleep achieved by a vitamin D level of 60–80 ng/ml began to wane at the end of two years, and there were an increasing number of patients with new complaints of pain. References were found linking B5 deficiency to insomnia and pain.

Based on studies reporting the use of B5 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis the original dose of B5 that was tried was 400 mg/day. That dose produced unexpected complaints of immediate agitation and insomnia in approximately 30 patients, so a lower dose, of B100 (100 mg B5) or B50 (50 mg B5) was recommended. The addition of B100 to the vitamin D regimen produced an improvement in both sleep and pain within days, suggesting that a vitamin B deficiency state had somehow been induced by the D supplementation and was now responsible for worsening sleep and pain.

Read more

- - - - - - -

I edited her writing.

- - - - - - -

The body uses magnesium to process pantothenic acid. Maybe consuming a lot of pantothenic acid can cause a magnesium deficiency.