Researchers Have Found Link between Vitamin D and Cancer

2008-06-03 04:13:53 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Health & Fitness)

Dallas, Texas (WiredPRNews.com) — Cancer researchers have found a surprising link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer. According to a recent report, women who suffer from breast cancer and have lower amounts of vitamin D in their blood do not have a positive prognosis. Breast cancer patients with adequate amounts of vitamin D however, have had better survival rates than those who lack vitamin D. It seems the sun’s rays are actually good for cancer patients.

Many doctors recommend that cancer patients spend fifteen minutes in the sun without sunscreen to stimulate the production of vitamin D. Of course, too much sun is still dangerous for everyone especially cancer patients. The study showed that patients with very high amounts of vitamin D had lower survival rates as well. Doctors urge cancer patients to visit their local hospital to check the levels of vitamin D in their blood. Other ways to increase the amount of vitamin D include the consumption of salmon and milk. However doctors say that vitamin D acquired through diet only makes up a small portion of vitamin D in our blood. Though the results of the study show that enough vitamin D is innocuous, experts say that you shouldn’t begin to intake supplements because the right amounts of vitamin D to consume is unknown as well as the propensity for vitamin D to help someone that already has cancer.

With the dreaded expectation of 184,450 cases and 40,930 deaths from cancer this year, this report is good news in the field of cancer research. Although this study was inconclusive due to the small amount of patients involved, the results can be used to further our knowledge of the disease and to lead us closer to finding the cure.

For more information visit the following link:
Vitamin D helps breast cancer survival
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/05/16/vitamind.breast.cancer.ap/index.html

Ashley Mathew
Staff Reporter