Opioid and alcohol use disorders increase by 10% after some Cancers (Vit D can help)- Jan 2024

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SUDs rates highest in head, neck, and gastric cancer survivors

MD Edge

• "Nearly 10% of survivors of head, neck, esophageal, and gastric cancers experienced active substance use disorders, based on data from more than 6,000 individuals."
• Reporting on: Substance Use Disorders Among US Adult Cancer Survivors - Jan 2024 doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.5785 PDF is behind a paywall
• Study only looked at solid cancers

Study Results This study included data from 6101 adult cancer survivors (56.91% were aged 65 years or older and 61.63% were female). Among lifetime cancer survivors, the prevalence of active SUD was 3.83% (SE, 0.32%). Substance use disorder was most prevalent in survivors of head and neck cancer (including mouth, tongue, lip, throat, and pharyngeal cancers; 9.36% [SE, 2.47%]), esophageal and gastric cancer (9.42% [SE, 5.51%]), cervical cancer (6.24% [SE, 1.41%]), and melanoma (6.20% [SE, 1.34%]).
Alcohol use disorder was the most common SUD (2.78% [SE, 0.26%]) overall and in survivors of head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, and melanoma.
In survivors of esophageal and gastric cancers, cannabis use disorder was the most prevalent SUD (9.42% [SE, 5.51%]).
Among respondents diagnosed with cancer in the past 12 months, the overall prevalence of active SUD was similar to that in the lifetime cancer survivor cohort (3.81% [SE, 0.74%]).
However, active SUD prevalence was higher in head and neck (18.73% [SE, 10.56%]) and cervical cancer survivors (15.70% [SE, 5.35%]).
The distribution of specific SUDs was different compared with that in the lifetime cancer survivor cohort. For example, in recently diagnosed head and neck cancer survivors, sedative use disorder was the most common SUD (9.81% [SE, 9.17%]).

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See related in VitaminDWiki

• Diagnosed with Cancer - consider vitamin D - 2021
• Easiest way to treat cancer – take Vitamin D – Nov 2022
• Vitamin D prevents and treats cancer in many ways – May 2021
• Head and neck cancers and vitamin D - many studies
• Gastric Cancer, Vitamin D, VDR, UV - many studies
• Melanoma might be suppressed by Vitamin D - many studies
• Addictive pain relievers Oxycodone and Percocet (not needed as much if have enough vitamin D?) – July 2014
• Cervical lesions (precancerous, identified by pap smear) treated by bi-weekly 50,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Feb 2017

Alcohol and Opioids to kill pain

• Overview Alcohol and Vitamin D
• Opioid addiction related to low vitamin D in many ways (in both mice and men) – June 2021
• Opiate addiction 2.4 X more likely if vitamin D deficient before surgery – June 2020
• Off topic: Opiate Deaths increased 5.4 X in US in just three years - Sept 2017

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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

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VitaminDWiki – Pain - chronic category contains:

168 items in category Chronic pain

See also

• Overview Pain and Vitamin D
• Percentage of people with pain increased 25 percent in 18 years – Jan 2019
• Pain not reduced by 60,000 IU monthly vitamin D (need 50,000 IU weekly) – RCT Aug 2023
• Overview Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue and vitamin D
• Overview Rheumatoid Arthritis and vitamin D
• Shingles and vitamin D
• Shin splints decrease with vitamin D
• Migraine and Vitamin D
• Headache category 82 items
• "musculoskeletal pain" 490 items as of Aug 2023
• "chronic fatigue" 240 items have it in title or abstract as of Dec 2024
• Category Back Pain 44 items
• 7 pain studies in VitaminDWiki with KNEE in the title as of Aug 2023 (see below)
• Opioid OR Opiate OR Morphine in the title 14 pages as of Dec 2024