Cancer nerds/Vitamin D calculator

SandiaBuddy
SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

This information is probably only interesting to "cancer nerds," or those who believe Vitamin D levels are important.  This is a calculator created by the authors of an article with a fairly small sample to to use Vitamin D levels to calculate a five-year colorectal cancer survival rate.  Please note you will need to convert your US level Vitamin D to the European level.  The "month" section refers to the month of the year of the sample, not the number of months after surgery.  Nonetheless, it is interesting.

 

We assessed the effect of surgical resection of colorectal cancer (CRC) on perioperative plasma vitamin D (25OHD) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. We investigated the relationship between circulating vitamin D level and CRC survival. . . We sequentially sampled 92 patients undergoing CRC resection, and measured plasma 25OHD and CRP. For survival analyses, we assayed 25OHD and CRP in two temporally distinct CRC patient cohorts (n=2006, n=2100) and investigated the association between survival outcome, circulating vitamin D and systemic inflammatory response. . . Serial sampling revealed a postoperative fall (mean 17.3 nmol/L; p=3.6e-9) in plasma 25OHD (nadir days 1-2). CRP peaked 3-5 days postoperatively (143.1 mg/L; p=1.4e-12), yet the postoperative fall in 25OHD was independent of CRP. In cohort analyses, 25OHD was lower in the 12 months following operation (mean=48.8 nmol/L) than preoperatively (54.8 nmol/L; p=1.2e-5) recovering after 24 months (52.2 nmol/L; p=0.002). Survival analysis in American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I-III demonstrated associations between 25OHD tertile and CRC mortality (HR=0.69; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.91) and all-cause mortality (HR=0.68; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.85), and was independent of CRP. We observed interaction effects between plasma 25OHD and rs11568820 genotype (functional VDR polymorphism) with a strong protective effect of higher 25OHD only in patients with GG genotype (HR=0.51; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.81). We developed an online tool for predicted survival (https://apps.igmm.ed.ac.uk/mortalityCalculator/) that incorporates 25OHD with clinically useful predictive performance (area under the curve 0.77). . . CRC surgery induces a fall in circulating 25OHD. Plasma 25OHD level is a prognostic biomarker with low 25OHD associated with poorer survival, particularly in those with rs11568820 GG genotype. A randomised trial of vitamin D supplementation after CRC surgery has compelling rationale.

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #2
    Can you Explain

    Most of the stuff you cite I'm not really able to interpret or just don't want to read it (sorry).  They said before that low D can attribute to colorectal cancer and when they took mine it was low.  Can you just explain is D good for you or not?  I'm now taking 1000 mg a day.

    Thanks bunches!  Kim

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #3
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Can you Explain

    Most of the stuff you cite I'm not really able to interpret or just don't want to read it (sorry).  They said before that low D can attribute to colorectal cancer and when they took mine it was low.  Can you just explain is D good for you or not?  I'm now taking 1000 mg a day.

    Thanks bunches!  Kim

    Vitamin D

    In this article, they seem to say that the cancer/surgery itself results in a lower vitamin D level.  There are also strong correlations between high vitamin D levels and survival after colorectal cancer.  When I finally got my D tested, I was surprised as well to find it was low, since I spend a lot of time in the sun.  I immediately stopped using sunscreen and I started taking vitamin D supplements.  It took me about three months to get my levels into the normal range and about 3 more to get into the higher range.  I try to get about 30 minutes of direct noon-day sun wearing a swimsuit every day in the warmer months.  I also take 5,000IU vitamin D a day (I initially took 10,000IU a day while building my levels).   Everyone has a different read on what is good for them and what gives them an advantage.  All I can comment on is how I apply this informaiton to myself.

    Dr. Holick's site has links to youtube videos and articles that might be easier to consume than journal articles.

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #4
    I take vitamin D but haven't

    I take vitamin D but haven't checked how much. We here in the great white north get very little from the sun in the winter. I'll have to check into this further.

    Jan

  • ThomasH
    ThomasH Member Posts: 106 Member
    #5
    I've been taking 10,000 IU

    I've been taking 10,000 IU per day for about 3 years now, and I was really surprised that my levels actually tested in the normal range. I thought for sure I would be on the high side, but apparently not.

    Thomas

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #6
    ThomasH said:

    I've been taking 10,000 IU

    I've been taking 10,000 IU per day for about 3 years now, and I was really surprised that my levels actually tested in the normal range. I thought for sure I would be on the high side, but apparently not.

    Thomas

    High Levels

    Perhaps natural sun exposure could lead to higher levels?  I thought mine would be very high, but it seems somehow the body adjusts things to where it wants them.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited May 2019 #7
    SandiaBuddy said:

    High Levels

    Perhaps natural sun exposure could lead to higher levels?  I thought mine would be very high, but it seems somehow the body adjusts things to where it wants them.

    Testing

    Sandia I'm not sure about your insurance but mine doesn't cover it and I'll pay for it but do you really think it's necessary as my doctor doesn't correlate the two with Vitamin D and cancer however posts on this board a long time ago mentioned something about it so when mine was tested it was low.  I've been taking Vitamin D ever since.  Usually about 2 IU but you seem to take a lot more than me.  Just wondering.

    Kim

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #8
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Testing

    Sandia I'm not sure about your insurance but mine doesn't cover it and I'll pay for it but do you really think it's necessary as my doctor doesn't correlate the two with Vitamin D and cancer however posts on this board a long time ago mentioned something about it so when mine was tested it was low.  I've been taking Vitamin D ever since.  Usually about 2 IU but you seem to take a lot more than me.  Just wondering.

    Kim

    D

    I think it is all a personal choice.  There are mixed results on initial occurence of cancer, but the studies are mostly with d supplements, not natural sun.  To the best of my memory, for recurrence of cancer, there is better evidence of a relationship with vitamin d levels.  Whether that relationship is causal or not is unclear, but for me, it seems that supplementing is a low risk/high reward approach.

    I take 5,000IU a day, plus I get natural sun in the Spring, Summer and Fall.  Sometimes in the Winter I take 10,000IU a day.  My levels are now in the high-normal range.  I have a heck of a time getting my doctors to order the tests.  My last go round, I asked, got my bloodwork done, but they once again "forgot" to order the D test.  I will have to wait another six months to ask them to order it again.

    My insurance has paid for the test so far, so I do not know the cost.

Discussion Boards