The importance of vitamin D for cancer patients

Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with cancer in remission

A previous smaller study (not randomized or placebo-controlled) showed that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the dose of opioids in patients with advanced cancer, reduce the use of antibiotics, and improve the quality of life

244 cancer patients with palliative cancer participated in ASIH (Advanced Home Medical Care) and participated in the current study conducted in Stockholm during 2017-2020

All study participants were deficient in vitamin D at the beginning of the study

Researchers measured changes in opioid doses (as pain measures) at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the start of the study

"The results showed that vitamin D treatment was well tolerated.

On the other hand, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of quality of life and antibiotic use

"This effect is small, but it is statistically significant

One disadvantage of this study is the high withdrawal rate

Maria Helde Frankling, Caritha Klasson, Carina Sandberg, Marie Nordström, Anna Warnqvist, Jenny Bergqvist, Peter Bergman, Linda Björkhem-Bergman.