Vitamins fight cancer: 9 of the 10 most cited studies were for Vitamin D - Dec 2024

---

Bibliometric analysis of global research on vitamins and cancer between 2003 and 2022

Medicine 103(50):p e37108, December 13, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037108
Wang, Wen MDa; Ye, Xiangming MDb; Wang, Sisi MDb,*

Background:
Vitamins are essential nutrients that play an indispensable role in maintaining the vital functions of the human body. A growing number of studies have shown a link between vitamins and cancer. However, there is no systematic review and bibliometric analysis in this field. This study aims to summarize the hotspots and emerging research topics in this field of vitamins and cancer research.

Methods:
Articles on the topic of vitamins and cancer published between 2003 and 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection database (WOSCC) on May 1, 2023. Subsequently, we conducted VOSviewer and CiteSpace to examine the annual output distribution, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, co-cited references, and keywords.

Results:
A total of 3166 publications were extracted using a timespan of 2003 to 2022. The number of publications has grown rapidly over the past 20 years. Most publications were from the United States; Harvard University was the most active institutions; Giovannucci stood out among authors with the highest number of publications, citations and H-index; Cancer Epidem Biomar published the most papers in this field; the highest cited reference was published in Nat Rev Cancer, authored by Feldman in 2014. Breast cancer was the most common type of cancer, while vitamin D was a research hotspot in this field. Oxidative stress may be the primary anticancer mechanism of vitamins, while also involving epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, polymorphism, and calcium metabolism. “nanoparticle” may be the new focus of attention in the next few years.

Conclusion:
This study presented an overview of the major research directions of vitamins and cancer by bibliometric methods over the past 2 decades. The results could reveal the research trends and the hotspots in the field and provide helpful information for clinical treatments of cancer.

---

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

VitaminDWiki – Cancer category contains:

• Cancer 295 items Overview Cancer and vitamin D
• Cancer and Vitamin D - many studies
• After Cancer Diagnosis 113 items
• Bladder Cancer 28 items
• Breast Cancer 259 items Overview Breast Cancer and Vitamin D
• Colon Cancer 145 items Overview Cancer-Colon and vitamin D
• Leukemia 19 items
• Liver Cancer 17 items
• Lung Cancer 55 items Overview Lung cancer and vitamin D
• Lymphoma Cancer 26 items
• Other Cancer 66 items
• Ovarian Cancer 26 items
• Pancreatic Cancer 58 items
• Prostate Cancer 103 items Overview Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D
• Skin Cancer 121 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

Cancers get less Vitamin D when there is a poor Vitamin D Receptor

• Vitamin D Receptor pages in VitaminDWiki with CANCER in title 86 as of July 2023
• Cancer and the Vitamin D Receptor, a primer – Sept 2017
• Vitamin D Receptor (Cancers OR Viruses) - many studies
• Risk of Cancer increased if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis of 73 studies Jan 2016
• Cancer (general) and VDR 23 articles
• Breast Cancer and VDR 24 articles
• Colon Cancer and VDR 13 articles
• Prostate Cancer and VDR 7 articles
• Skin Cancer and VDR 10 articles
  • Note some Health problems, such as some Cancers, protect themselves
    by actively reducing Receptor activation

---

VitaminDWiki – Cancer - After diagnosis category contains:

• Most cancers reduce vitamin D levels
• Most cancer treatments (chemo, radiation) further lower Vitamin D
• Higher levels of vitamin D minimize many side-effects of cancer therapy
• High levels of vitamin D augment many chemotherapies
• High levels of vitamin D augment cancer immunotherapies
• High levels of vitamin D can kill some cancer cells 1,720 items 12/2023
• Some cancers deactivate the vitamin D receptor

Example VitaminDWiki Studies

• Cancer and Vitamin D - many studies
• 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
• Cancer patients need more vitamin D, even those who are supplementing – observational study June 2021
• Metastatic Cancer probably reduced by vitamin D - many studies
• Colorectal Cancer treatment aided by omega-3 plus weekly Vitamin D – RCT Sept 2019
• Radiation therapy, used to treat some cancers, causes less damage if use Vitamin D (or Melatonin) – 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
• Palliative care is helped by Vitamin D - many studies
• 4X less of one chemo needed after vitamin D receptor activation - June 2020

Breast Cancer

• Breast Cancer survivors with high vitamin D were 3.3 X less likely to have metastases – May 2023
• Breast Cancer survival: 44% with just 10,000 IU of vitamin D per week, 33% with placebo – RCT Dec 2023
• Breast cancer recurred twice as often if have less than 20 ng of vitamin D – Dec 2018
• Breast Cancer chemotherapy 2.7 X more likely to be successful if not vitamin D deficient – Dec 2017