Vitamin D important to lymphoma patients

by Chris Woollams

Lymphoma patients with a vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to die from their cancer as patients with normal blood levels (defined as 25 nanograms per litre) say scientists at the Mayo Clinic (American Society of Haematology Conference).

50 per cent of patients in the study (all ’recently diagnosed’ in the years from 2002 to 2008) had a blood vitamin D deficiency. Over the following three years this group were 50 per cent more likely to become worse and twice as likely to die as those having normal blood vitamin D levels.

Chris Comment: We have long passed the point where there is a clear body of evidence that if you want to beat cancer you need to spend 30-60 minutes per day in the sun. If you cannot do that you should supplement. In March, 2010 (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism) it was reported that ’59 percent of the US population is vitamin D deficient, with a quarter of the population ’extremely deficient.’

In my opinion it is essential that cancer patients consider taking a supplement of up to 5000 IUs of vitamin D every day. The research is consistent across cancers from breast to colon, prostate to lung. Last year we covered research in icon that showed not simply that this was THE prevention vitamin, but that it possessed the ability to ’normalise’ a cancer cell. You can read more on our web site in the article ’Vitamin D are you getting enough’. Top American Cancer Centres now recommend it to their cancer patients. Meanwhile some ill informed UK ’cancer experts’ still tell people not to go in the sun. Remember my motto, ’Sunshine is sensational; burning is bad’.