Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials
Several studies have investigated the beneficial effects of vitamin D on survival of cancer patients. Overall evidence has been accumulating with contrasting results. This paper aims at narratively reviewing the existing articles examining the link between vitamin D supplementation and cancer mortal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3285 |
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| author | Patrizia Gnagnarella Valeria Muzio Saverio Caini Sara Raimondi Chiara Martinoli Susanna Chiocca Claudia Miccolo Paolo Bossi Diego Cortinovis Ferdinando Chiaradonna Roberta Palorini Federica Facciotti Federica Bellerba Stefania Canova Sara Gandini |
| author_facet | Patrizia Gnagnarella Valeria Muzio Saverio Caini Sara Raimondi Chiara Martinoli Susanna Chiocca Claudia Miccolo Paolo Bossi Diego Cortinovis Ferdinando Chiaradonna Roberta Palorini Federica Facciotti Federica Bellerba Stefania Canova Sara Gandini |
| author_sort | Patrizia Gnagnarella |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several studies have investigated the beneficial effects of vitamin D on survival of cancer patients. Overall evidence has been accumulating with contrasting results. This paper aims at narratively reviewing the existing articles examining the link between vitamin D supplementation and cancer mortality. We performed two distinct searches to identify observational (ObS) studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplementation (VDS) in cancer patients and cohorts of general population, which included cancer mortality as an outcome. Published reports were gathered until March 2021. We identified 25 papers published between 2003 and 2020, including n. 8 RCTs on cancer patients, n. 8 population RCTs and n. 9 ObS studies. There was some evidence that the use of VDS in cancer patients could improve cancer survival, but no significant effect was found in population RCTs. Some ObS studies reported evidence that VDS was associated with a longer survival among cancer patients, and only one study found an opposite effect. The findings do not allow conclusive answers. VDS may have the potential as treatment to improve survival in cancer patients, but further investigations are warranted. We strongly support investment in well-designed and sufficiently powered RCTs to fully evaluate this association. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9787a66c57024755a357e81c81a9d5e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-9787a66c57024755a357e81c81a9d5e62023-11-22T14:40:21ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-09-01139328510.3390/nu13093285Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical TrialsPatrizia Gnagnarella0Valeria Muzio1Saverio Caini2Sara Raimondi3Chiara Martinoli4Susanna Chiocca5Claudia Miccolo6Paolo Bossi7Diego Cortinovis8Ferdinando Chiaradonna9Roberta Palorini10Federica Facciotti11Federica Bellerba12Stefania Canova13Sara Gandini14Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyInstitute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), Via Cosimo il Vecchio 2, 50139 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyMedical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health University of Brescia, ASST-Spedali Civili, 25121 Brescia, ItalySC Oncologia Medica, Asst H S Gerardo Monza, 20900 Monza, ItalyDepartment of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalySC Oncologia Medica, Asst H S Gerardo Monza, 20900 Monza, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, ItalySeveral studies have investigated the beneficial effects of vitamin D on survival of cancer patients. Overall evidence has been accumulating with contrasting results. This paper aims at narratively reviewing the existing articles examining the link between vitamin D supplementation and cancer mortality. We performed two distinct searches to identify observational (ObS) studies and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplementation (VDS) in cancer patients and cohorts of general population, which included cancer mortality as an outcome. Published reports were gathered until March 2021. We identified 25 papers published between 2003 and 2020, including n. 8 RCTs on cancer patients, n. 8 population RCTs and n. 9 ObS studies. There was some evidence that the use of VDS in cancer patients could improve cancer survival, but no significant effect was found in population RCTs. Some ObS studies reported evidence that VDS was associated with a longer survival among cancer patients, and only one study found an opposite effect. The findings do not allow conclusive answers. VDS may have the potential as treatment to improve survival in cancer patients, but further investigations are warranted. We strongly support investment in well-designed and sufficiently powered RCTs to fully evaluate this association.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3285cancervitamin Dsupplementationmortalitysurvival |
| spellingShingle | Patrizia Gnagnarella Valeria Muzio Saverio Caini Sara Raimondi Chiara Martinoli Susanna Chiocca Claudia Miccolo Paolo Bossi Diego Cortinovis Ferdinando Chiaradonna Roberta Palorini Federica Facciotti Federica Bellerba Stefania Canova Sara Gandini Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials Nutrients cancer vitamin D supplementation mortality survival |
| title | Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials |
| title_full | Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials |
| title_fullStr | Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials |
| title_short | Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Mortality: Narrative Review of Observational Studies and Clinical Trials |
| title_sort | vitamin d supplementation and cancer mortality narrative review of observational studies and clinical trials |
| topic | cancer vitamin D supplementation mortality survival |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3285 |
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