Vitamin D & Surviving Digestive Tract Cancer

An important new study powerfully demonstrates that taking vitamin D can help survival in people with digestive tract cancers, like colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common, and second most deadly, cancer in the world.

Recently, the importance of vitamin D for a variety of cancers has been becoming clearer in research. 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day has been shown to reduce all cancer mortality by 25% (NEJM. 2019;380(1):33-44). A 2023 meta-analysis showed that taking vitamin D improves death from cancer in the general population and survival in people with cancer (Ageing Res Rev. 2023;87:101923).

When it comes to colorectal cancer, several studies have suggested a greater risk in people with low levels of vitamin D. A recent meta-analysis found a significant 25% lower risk for people who get the most vitamin D in their diet (Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun;13(11):2814).

Vitamin D has been shown to be beneficial for several types of cancer, and p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in about 50% of cancers and is common in all kinds of cancers. This landmark study set out to see if taking vitamin D could reduce the risk of relapse or death in people who had been surgically treated for digestive tract cancers and who were p53-immunoreactive.

There were 392 people in the study. 0.5% had small bowel cancer, 9.4% had esophageal cancer, 43.4% had gastric (stomach) cancer and 46.7% had colorectal cancer. 44.1% were in stage 1, 26.5% were stage 2 and 29.4% were stage 3.

Everyone in the double-blind study was given either a placebo or 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day after their surgery.

In the group of people who were p53-immunoreactive, relapse or death occurred in 16.7% of people who were taking vitamin D versus 53.8% of people on placebo. 5-year relapse-free survival was significantly higher in the vitamin D group, reaching 80.9% versus 30.6% in the placebo group.

An editorial that accompanied the study called it “a game changer for vitamin D and cancer.” This hugely important study suggests that taking just 2,000 IU of vitamin D can prevent relapse and death and significantly improve survival time in many people with digestive tract cancers.

JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(8):e2328886.

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