Vitamin D and Cancer

[Guest guest]

Those interested in an overview on cancer risk and vitamin D levels (including

dosages) might be interested in watching a program I first saw when I was in the

hospital at UCSD.

It's on UCSD TV and it involves a meta review of existing studies on vitamin D.

That's a study of other studies.

I found it interesting and helpful. The speaker does take some time getting to

the recommended dosages, so bear with it.

http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16454

Vit D study in CLL

Posted by: " Beth Fillman "

bethcat@...

 

lapermone

Fri Nov 5, 2010 6:54 am (PDT)

More thoughts on the epidemiological considerations of D3 deficiency, and

what this means to us... things to consider.

reading the NIH article, and I agree it is for the most part past prime in it's

" ideal " levels, compared to more recent studies. Also does not suggest a

protocol that might be useful for patients or their physicians. There are

simply too many variables. There is still too much 'fear' of D in the medical

world in general. For those of us who have dealt with this issue we can

probably all agree that reaching 'toxic' levels is NOT something that will

happen overnight, or even quickly. Hopefully the Mayo article will start

people/doctors thinking seriously about including D3 and associated tests as a

regular part of a health check up. Here are some thoughts.

1. circulating levels are not always accurate,,, however they note that

standardized methods are now available, making lab values at least more

consistent, and testing is simple.

2. they say Circulating 1,25(OH)2D is generally not a good indicator of vitamin

D status because it has a short half-life of 15 hours and serum concentrations

are closely regulated by parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphate [11].

Levels of 1,25(OH)2D do not typically decrease until vitamin D deficiency is

severe [5,10]. Perhpaps one method of obtaining more accurate estimates in all

groups would be to include tests of the following, which are interdependant

factors in circulating D3 - at least at the outset, and on regular intervals

along the way. This is what my endocrinologist did and we continue to do.

3. This article also mentions that obesity is a factor in 'low circulating

levels' regardless of how many units the patient ingests.... the ingested D is

stored in the excess fat. There are many levels of obesity, and it seems all

can affect the ratio of ingested vs usable. Age and comorbidities were

mentioned as well, such as already existing bone loss, kidney and liver

performance levels. ALL should be considered in any evaluation of a DOSE per

person. In other words, get tested, include other tests and then sit down with

your doctor and design a program that suits your case. This program should

include repeat testing, and increasing doses to whatever ideal level you want to

achieve.

4. the actual bioavailability of the D3 one takes. NOT all supplements are

created equal. This is something we must be cautious of. One could take

thousands of units of a non bioavailable product and not see a rise in

circulating levels. This may account for the varying 'reports' we see here on

list of " I take xxxxx and my level is yyyy "

take xxxx of WHAT? There are also prescription products available for those

who may need immediate boosts.

The take home is, get tested, talk to your doctor, research the products, and

keep monitoring your levels since treatments, other medications, and other

illnesses can affect your circulating levels.

One thing is clear however, this is something we as CLL patients CAN do to help

our situation, regardless of our stage, prognostic factors, treatment or not.

best to all, Beth Fillman