- Higher serum vitamin D concentration and supplementation were associated with improved survival outcomes and treatment response in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Why not give Vitamin D to all Cancer patients?
- 1,200,000+ studies contain Cancer & "Vitamin D" & Treatment
Higher serum vitamin D concentration and supplementation were associated with improved survival outcomes and treatment response in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Nutr Res 2025 Aug 6:141:82-95. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2025.08.003 PDF behind paywall
Qian Yang 1, Chi Shu 2, Hong Li 3, Xuan Xie 3, Hong Wu 4, Yanhong Zhou 5, Huanrui Hu 6, Jichun Zhao 6, Chuan Xu 7, Yazhou He 8
Biological evidence has demonstrated the anti-tumor effects of vitamin D, but whether it could predict the effect of cancer immunotherapy remains inconclusive. We hypothesized that higher serum vitamin D concentration and supplementation might be correlated with better prognosis and treatment response among cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. We systematically searched the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant articles from inception to June 19, 2025. We calculated the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effect model primarily to determine the relationship between vitamin D and prognosis in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. Thirteen studies involving 2592 cancer patients were included.
Higher vitamin D concentration was associated with improved overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.39-0.58, P < .001),
as well as
- progression-free survival (PFS),
- event-free survival (EFS), and
- objective response rate (ORR).
For cancer subtypes, elevated vitamin D concentration was associated with improved OS in lymphoma patients receiving any immunotherapy. All included patients with solid tumors received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and showed positive effects of higher vitamin D.
Furthermore, a significant correlation was also observed between vitamin D supplementation and prolonged OS (HR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.94, P = .022).
Higher vitamin D concentration and supplementation demonstrated improved treatment outcomes to immunotherapy in cancer patients. However, due to limited categories of cancers available, more high-quality studies with multiple cancers and treatment regimens enrolled are warranted before vitamin D supplementation could be administered to further improve the prognosis.
The titles of a few of the references
Prostate cancer immunotherapy: improving clinical outcomes with a multi-pronged approach
Vitamin D in melanoma: controversies and potential role in combination with immune check-point inhibitors
Exploring vitamin D metabolism and function in cancer
Cancer immunotherapy
Immunotherapy in colorectal cancer: rationale, challenges and potential
Immunotherapy approaches for breast cancer patients in 2023
Vitamin D regulates microbiome-dependent cancer immunity
Why not give Vitamin D to all Cancer patients?
- Diagnosed with Cancer - consider vitamin D - 2021
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- Breast Cancer survival improved 3.6X by 2,000 IU of Vitamin D with chemotherapy – RCT March 2025
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- Breast Cancer survivors with high vitamin D were 3.3 X less likely to have metastases – May 2023
- Easiest way to treat cancer – take Vitamin D – Nov 2022
- Even after a Cancer diagnosis Vitamin D improves survival – meta-analysis Aug 2022
- Vitamin D is synergistic with many Cancer therapies (radiation in this case) – Aug 2021
- Vitamin D prevents and treats cancer in many ways – May 2021
- 4X less of one chemo needed after vitamin D receptor activation - June 2020
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1,200,000+ studies contain Cancer & "Vitamin D" & Treatment
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