Overview Cancer and vitamin D

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Asked Claude AI: Which cancers appear to be prevented or treated by vitamin D

Based on PDF of Overview of Cancer and Vitamin D + Cancer Dec 2024
Based on reviewing this comprehensive document about vitamin D and cancer, here are the key cancers that appear to be prevented or treated by vitamin D:
Major Cancers with Strong Evidence:

1. Colorectal Cancer
   25% less likely with good vitamin D levels
   Death from colon cancer 8X less likely with good vitamin D levels
   Multiple meta-analyses show preventive effects
2. Breast Cancer
   Risk decreased 16% for every extra ng of vitamin D
   Mortality reduced 60% with vitamin D levels above 60 ng/mL
   Treatment outcomes improved with vitamin D supplementation
3. Prostate Cancer
   Death 40% less likely with vitamin D levels above 40 ng/mL
   Risk cut in half by consuming vitamin D along with other nutrients
   Treatment effectiveness enhanced with vitamin D
4. Lung Cancer
   Death rates 40-60% lower with high vitamin D levels
   Risk decreases 5% for every 2.5 ng increase in vitamin D
   Up to 7X more deadly if poor vitamin D genes
5. Melanoma/Skin Cancer
   25X more likely with low vitamin D
   Better survival rates with higher vitamin D levels
   Particularly strong connection with UV exposure and vitamin D production

Other Cancers with Evidence of Benefit:

• Pancreatic Cancer (55% less likely with optimal vitamin D)
• Bladder Cancer (60% less likely with high vitamin D)
• Lymphoma (survival rates improved with adequate vitamin D)
• Ovarian Cancer (37% less likely with high vitamin D)
• Liver Cancer (30% less risky with vitamin D above 30 ng/mL)

Key Points:
Prevention typically requires 2,000-5,000 IU of vitamin D daily
Treatment may need >8,000 IU daily
Blood levels above 40-60 ng/mL appear optimal for cancer prevention
Vitamin D works through multiple mechanisms to fight cancer:

• Inhibits cancer cell growth
• Reduces metastasis
• Stimulates cell differentiation
• Induces cancer cell death
• Prevents tumor blood vessel formation
• Reduces inflammation

 Merged PDF that Claude looked at - Dec 29,2024

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Many cancers are prevented by a high enough level of vitamin D (chart from 2013)

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VitaminDWiki – Cancer category contains

• Cancer 308 items Overview Cancer and vitamin D
• Cancer and Vitamin D - many studies
• After Cancer Diagnosis 119 items
• Bladder Cancer 28 items
• Breast Cancer 264 items Overview Breast Cancer and Vitamin D
• Colon Cancer 149 items Overview Cancer-Colon and vitamin D
• Leukemia 21 items
• Liver Cancer 18 items
• Lung Cancer 57 items Overview Lung cancer and vitamin D
• Lymphoma Cancer 27 items
• Other Cancer 71 items
• Ovarian Cancer 27 items
• Pancreatic Cancer 61 items
• Prostate Cancer 109 items Overview Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D
• Skin Cancer 123 items Overview Suntan, melanoma and vitamin D
• Childhood Cancers - Vitamin D can help - many studies
• Easiest way to treat cancer – take Vitamin D – Nov 2022
• 13 Cancers are helped by Vitamin D – Biobank July 2023
• 2X increase of 14 cancers in non-seniors in 20 years (low vitamin D) – Sept 2022
• Vitamin D prevents and treats cancer in many ways – May 2021
• Those with recent cancer diagnosis had 7X increased risk of COVID-19 (more if A-A )- Dec 2020
• Deaths from many types of Cancer associated with low vitamin D- review of meta-analyses Sept 2020
• Cancer incidence and mortality is decreased if 40-60 ng of Vitamin D – April 2019
• 8 ways that Cancer might be prevented by Vitamin D - June 2019
• Cancer stem cells and Vitamin D - many studies
• Vitamin D Reduces Cancer Risk - Why Scientists Accept It but Physicians Do Not - Feb 2019
• Overview of Vitamin D Actions in Cancer – 31 page chapter in a book – 2018
• Vitamin D prevents breast cancer, reduces BC mortality, and reduces BC chemotherapy problems – Sept 2018
• Diagnosed with breast cancer – take vitamin D to cut chance of death by half – July 2018
• Melanoma 25 X more likely if low vitamin D – Feb 2018
• Better Cancer survival if higher vitamin D a decade earlier (esp. Melanoma, Kidney, Prostate)– Aug 2018

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VitaminDWiki has 1,080+ studies with Cancer etc. in the title

CANCER OR LYMPHOMA OR LEUKEMIA OR MYLENOMA OR Osteosarcoma OR Adenocarcinoma

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VitaminDWiki - 87+ VDR pages have CANCER in the title

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Vitamin D fights cancer in many ways - GrassrootsHealth Sept 2022

How Vitamin D Works to Help Prevent Cancer

• Inhibits cancer cell growth and proliferation
• Reduces cancer metastasis
• Stimulates maturation of healthy cells (differentiation)
• Induces death of cancer cells (apoptosis or programmed cell death)
• Prevents blood vessel growth in tumors (angiogenesis)
• Prevents inflammation associated with cancer
• Reduces the risk of incidence and/or death due to cancer

See also (VitaminDWiki)

• Palliative care is helped by Vitamin D - many studies
• Chemotherapy and vitamin D - many studies
• Cancer and Cancer therapy often lower vitamin D levels
  • Lower Vitamin D levels increase the risk of many health problems

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513 Cancer Intervention Trials with Vitamin D as of July 2025

ClinicalTrials.gov

• A restricted ketogenic diet to deprive tumor cells of their primary fuel: glucose
• Glycolysis and glutaminolysis inhibitors to shut down cancer-specific metabolic pathways
• High-dose vitamin C and targeted micronutrients to support immune function, restore redox balance,
  • and exert direct cytotoxic effects against cancer cells through pro-oxidative mechanisms.
• Mitochondrial support to restore healthy cellular energy production and regulate key cellular functions
  • such as apoptosis, immune signaling, and metabolic homeostasis.
• Detoxification protocols to reduce the body's burden of environmental and endogenous carcinogens,
  • including heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and persistent organic pollutants that contribute to DNA damage, hormone imbalance, and cancer risk

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Perhaps Cancer is a metabolic diease - many books June 2025

Orthomolecular

• Therapeutic Ketogenic Diet: At the center of metabolic cancer therapy, a well-formulated ketogenic diet deprives cancer cells of glucose, their primary fuel, while supporting normal cells with ketones. This dietary intervention is essential-not optional-for metabolically driven cancers such as prostate cancer.
• High-Dose Intravenous Vitamin C (HDIVC): A hallmark of orthomolecular medicine, HDIVC has been used for decades in cancer care with a strong safety profile and growing clinical evidence. It functions not only as a powerful antioxidant but also as a pro-oxidant at high concentrations, generating hydrogen peroxide selectively toxic to cancer cells while protecting normal tissue.
• Vitamin D3: Maintain serum levels between 50-100 ng/mL to support immune function, hormone balance, and cancer risk reduction
• Zinc, Selenium, and Magnesium: Vital for immune competence, hormonal balance, and mitochondrial function
• Omega-3s and Anti-inflammatory Nutrients: Help reduce chronic inflammation and disrupt cancer-promoting signaling pathways
• Targeted Detoxification and Gut Health Optimization: Reduce the body's burden of carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and pro-inflammatory toxins that impair immunity and metabolic health

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43+ VitaminDWiki pages have both CANCER AND RCT in the title

The list is automatically updated

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55% Cancer increase in young adults in 30 years in middle-income countries - 2023

The unexplained rise of cancer among millennials

They suspect the increase is due to Ultra-processed food ==> poor gut biome
VitaminDWiki additionally suspects herbicides & pesticides ==> poor gut biome

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VitaminDWiki - 15 Infant-Child pages with CANCER in the title

This list is automatically updated

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264 Cancer – Breast items

which includes

• Overview Breast Cancer and Vitamin D
• Breast Cancer treatment – Vitamin D was the most-popular supplement – Jan 2023
• Breast Cancer survivors with high vitamin D were 3.3 X less likely to have metastases – May 2023
• Breast Cancer risk - meta-analysis of 50 studies - Dec 2019
• Breast Cancer chance decreased 16 percent for every extra ng of vitamin D – Jan 2013
• Breast Cancer Mortality reduced 60 percent if more than 60 ng of Vitamin D – meta-analysis June 2017
• Vitamin D reduced Breast Cancer mortality in 9 out of 9 studies, yet still no consensus – April 2019
• Breast cancer associated with Vitamin D Receptor (14th study) – Oct 2019

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149 Cancer – Colon items

which includes

• Overview Cancer-Colon and vitamin D
• Colorectal cancer 25 percent less likely if good level of Vitamin D – 20th meta-analysis – June 2021
• Colon cancer risk increases 30X if you have the worst vitamin D receptor mutation – Jan 2021
• Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer 2X less likely if consume more than 450 IU of Vitamin D daily – Aug 2021
• Death from Colon Cancer 8 X less likely if good level of vitamin D – Nov 2018

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109 Cancer - Prostate items

which includes

• Overview Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D
• Prostate cancer patients in Jamaica were 5X more likely to die of PC if low vitamin D - Sept 2022
• Prostate Cancer PSA reduced by 60 ng of Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex, Omega-3, Curcumin and diet – June 2021
• Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk: 1.3 X if eat specific plants, 1.7X if add Vitamin D
• BPH (PSA) decreased by Vitamin D (50,000 IU bi-weekly) – RCT Nov 2020
• Prostate cancer risk cut in half by consuming Boron-rich food or water
• Men with High Omega-3 ratio 3 times less likely to have high grade prostate cancer – July 2019
• Vitamin D, Sunlight, and the Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer – Jan 2013
• Advanced prostate cancer 2X more likely if low vitamin D – Sept 2012
• Prostate cancer reduced when 4000 IU vitamin D was added– Hollis RCT April 2015

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61 Cancer - Pancreatic items

which include

• People consuming more Vitamin K1 were 40 percent less likely to get Pancreatic Cancer – Oct 2021
• Pancreatic Cancer – live a year longer if have high vitamin D and good Vitamin D Receptor – Aug 2018
• Pancreatic Cancer risk increased 24 percent for every 100 mg less of Magnesium intake – Dec 2015
• Pancreatic cancer 55 percent less likely if optimal vitamin D (vs low) – Nov 2017
• Restoring vitamin D levels to Pancreatic patients required up to 20000 IU daily – May 2012
• Far fewer Pancreatic Cancer deaths at stage III and IV with more than 20 ng vitamin D – Sept 2013
• Pancreatic Cancer massively deregulates the local Vitamin D receptors and CPY24A1 – July 2014
• Pancreatic cancer 30 percent less likely in Australians who got lots of UVB (vitamin D) – Dec 2013

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57 Cancer – Lung items

which includes

• Overview Lung cancer and vitamin D
• Lung Cancer death 40 percent less likely if high level of Vitamin D – meta-analysis Nov 2020
• Smoking reduces vitamin D - many studies
• Lung Cancer is up to 7 X more deadly if poor vitamin D genes – Oct 2021
• Lung and Vitamin D – Special Issue Dec 2011
• Vitamin A may hinder vitamin D benefits associated with Lung Cancer – July 2013
• Lung Cancer risk decreases 5 percent for every 2.5 nanogram increase in Vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2015
• Low vitamin D strongly related to death due to tobacco cancer, but not others – March 2013

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119 Cancer – After items

which includes

• Radiation therapy, used to treat some cancers, causes less damage if use Vitamin D (or Melatonin) – Aug 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
• Cancer patients in ICU with low vitamin D were 3.4 X more likely to die within a year – Dec 2020
• Cancer deaths of senior women 60 percent more likely if low Vitamin D – March 2015
• 3X less pelvic inflammation from cancer radiation if high level of vitamin D – Feb 2015

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123 Cancer – Skin items

which includes

• Overview Suntan, melanoma and vitamin D
• Melanoma might be suppressed by Vitamin D - many studies
• Cancers reduced by Vitamin D (Skin cancer in this review) – Dec 2022
• Skin Cancer (SCC) minimized if get sun time around noon – Nov 2015
  Higher UVB to UVA ratio in the middle of the day
• Alzheimer disease 5X less likely with nonmelanoma skin cancer (lots of vitamin D) – May 2013
• 18X increased destruction of skin cancers if active vitamin D added to photodynamic therapy (mice) – March 2015

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27 Cancer – Lymphoma items

which includes

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma associated with poor Vitamin D receptor – Feb 2021
• Lymphoma, leukemia etc, survival poor if low vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2015
• Cancer (colon, breast, lymph) survival about 2X better with high level vitamin D – meta-analysis July 2014

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308 Cancer – General items

which includes

• Cancer and Vitamin D - many studies
• Vitamin D fortification in Europe preventing 27,000 Cancer deaths, could prevent 129,000 – May 2022
• 13 Cancers are helped by Vitamin D – Biobank July 2023
• 2X increase of 14 cancers in non-seniors in 20 years (low vitamin D) – Sept 2022
• Only 1 in 7 cancers are found by screening (but 2 in 7 are prevented by Vitamin D) – Dec 2022
• COVID, Cancer, etc. are Vitamin D low-hanging-fruit – Editorial June 2022
• Cancer survival 4 percent more likely with just a little more vitamin D (4 ng) - meta-analysis July 2014
• Death of women from cancer 24% less likely if 20 ng more vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2013
  Strong hint as to why Vitamin D prevents and treats so many different types of cancer
• Less Solar Radiation was associated with more Cancer - 1941

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37+ VitaminDWiki Mortaility pages have CANCER in the title

The list is automatically updated

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Following graph from the CDC August 2010

CLICK HERE for Original study by Lappe - 2007
41 minutes good video of Lappe explaining the trial
in which she mentions the next 5-year trial underway with 2,000 IU of vitamin D
Breast Cancer details from the study
For years 2-4
Placebo: 8 Breast Cancers out of 266 women
1100 IU vitamin D + Calcium 4 Breast Cancers out of 403 women
That is 8/266 ==> 4/403 with vitamin D
So roughly 3% ==> 1% with 1100 IU of vitamin D
about a 3X reduction for Breast Cancer(vs 4X reduction for all Cancers)
CLICK HERE for Lappe -2011 slide description of the original study

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Colon Cancer Chart: Vitamin D > 40ng is good

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Increase in Childhood Cancer in recent decades

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Cancer $creening Doesn't Save Lives, 2 Meta-Analyses 2015, 2023

Cancer $creening Doesn't Save Lives, Meta-Study Reveals
The huge problem of false positives/overdiagnosis GreenMedInfo Jan 2015

• Estimated Lifetime Gained With Cancer Screening Tests: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials - Sept 2015 - doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3798
  • "Conclusions and relevance: The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that current evidence does not substantiate the claim that common cancer screening tests save lives by extending lifetime, except possibly for colorectal cancer screening with sigmoidoscopy."
  • Can be read at DeepDyve

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The Impact of Vitamin D in Cancer - book chapter - 2017

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

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Alternative therapies have worse outcomes when cancer therapy is ignored - July 2018

Complementary Medicine, Refusal of Conventional Cancer Therapy, and Survival Among Patients With Curable Cancers
Skyler B. Johnson, MD1; Henry S. Park, MD, MPH1; Cary P. Gross, MD2; et al James B. Yu, MD, MHS1,2
JAMA Oncol. Published online July 19, 2018. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.2487
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
"Vitamin D" does not occur once in the study
Note: The study only looks at
Cancer treatment, not prevention
Cancer mortality, not cancer survival

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Cancer Treatment 101: A Primer for Non-Oncologists - Aug 2024 (nothing about vitamin D)

MedScape

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Cancer Factoids from The Body, by Bill Bryson, 2019

• They (Cancers) have evolved to avoid detection,” says Vormoor. “They can hide from drugs. They can develop resistance. (VitaminDWiki also believes that many have also learned to hide.
• Something we have only recently realized is that before cancers metastasize, they are able to prepare the ground for an invasion in distant target organs, probably through some form of chemical signaling. “What this means,” Vormoor says, “is that when cancer cells spread to other organs, they don’t just turn up and hope for the best. They already have a base camp.
• Viruses and bacteria cause cancers, too. The World Health Organization 2011 estimated that 6 percent of cancers in the developed world but 22 percent in low- and middle-income countries are attributable to viruses alone.
• A significant fraction of childhood cancer deaths come not from the cancer itself but from the treatments for it.

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Aloe appears to help with Cancer chemo and radiation therapy - Greger - July 2022

Aloe Is Put to the Test Against Cancer
Also mentions Aloe treating eye cancer in an individual - without any surgery or other treatment.
Note: The wife of the founder of VitaminDWiki used several aloe plants to treat her Breast Cancer radiation therapy burns about 20 years ago.

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Cancer Incidence in Men and Women, and Vitamin D ( 2022)

TinyURL for this page = http://is.gd/dcancer