Brit J Cancer: Effects of vitamin D supplementation on the survival of colorectal cancer patients.

Circulatory low vitamin D levels were associated with low survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).
a recent study published in British Journal of Cancer, an authoritative journal in the field of oncology, in which researchers assessed whether vitamin D supplementation could improve survival outcomes in CRC patients.
researchers retrieved PubMed and Web of Science, included vitamin D supplementation and reported a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on mortality in CRC patients.
risk of high bias are excluded from the analysis.
using a random effect meta-analysis model to calculate estimates of survival benefits.
this analysis has been registered on PROSPERO, registration number: CRD42020173397.
researchers identified seven RCT (n-957 CRC cases): three trials included CRC patients, and four population trials reported case survival rates.
meta-analysis excluded two randomized controlled trials (high risk of bias; no risk ratio (HR).
Although the inclusion criteria, intervention doses and outcomes varied, meta-analysis found that vitamin D supplementation reduced adverse outcomes in CRC patients by 30% (n-815, HR-0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48-0.93).
beneficial effects were observed in CRC patient trials (no progressive survival rate, HR=0.65; 95% CI: 0.36-0.94).
found no heterogeneity or publication bias.
meta-analysis shows that vitamin D supplementation is of clinical significance to the survival outcome of CRC patients.
need to be further designed and powerful RCT to fully assess the effects of vitamin D supplements in CRC treatment as well as optimal dosages.
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