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Doctors Giving Cancer Patients Vitamin D
HFA has been a leader in publication of alternative medicine and the supportive science behind it. For those of us taking responsibility for our own health we can not always wait for “traditional “ medicine to catch up. HFA has published numerous articles on the benefits of vitamin D like the one that shows Vitamin D reduces cancer risk. At long last some doctors are seeing the light. Responding to research indicating that vitamin D may slow the progression of breast, colon and other common cancers, some doctors have begun adding the supplement to their tool kit of cancer therapies alongside more conventional treatments such as radiation, surgery and chemotherapy.
While not all physicians are convinced the evidence is strong enough to warrant taking an extra dollop of the sunshine vitamin, those recommending the course say popping the pills is a simple health strategy that has few, if any, risks and has the added benefit of also improving bone health in those with cancer.
“There is emerging data on breast cancer recurrence rates and vitamin D levels that are quite compelling,” says Tracey O’Connor, an oncologist at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo who treats breast cancer and is having her patients take the vitamin.
Giving vitamin D as part of a treatment program for cancer is still relatively new in the medical community, and Roswell Park is one of the first major cancer institutions in North America to have a number of doctors investigating whether wider use of the nutrient may make a difference in the outcome of the disease.
Speaking at a conference this week in Toronto, Dr. O’Connor outlined a protocol she is using for vitamin D in breast-cancer treatment. It involves giving high doses of the supplement to the most deficient patients immediately after they are diagnosed to quickly raise blood levels of the nutrient.
Dr. O’Connor says that having a low level of vitamin D “is quite common” among women with breast cancer, and most patients, typically about 80 per cent, are either deficient or have insufficient amounts.
Current Health Canada dietary recommendations for vitamin D range from 200 to 600 international units a day, depending on age, and were designed to promote bone health and not the far larger amounts being explored for therapeutic possibilities in cancer treatments.
Dr. O’Connor says some breast-cancer patients have such low stores of the nutrient that they need to embark on a crash course of taking up to 50,000 IU a week for several months to bring up their levels. Other patients whose starting levels aren’t so poor take a few thousand IU a day. She also monitors blood levels to make sure people don’t get too much.
International units are the standard measurement of how much vitamin D is contained in supplementsor foods. Multivitamins typically have either 400 or 800 IU, and a cup of fortified milk has 100 IU.
While vitamin D can be taken as a pill, it’s also produced naturally in human skin exposed to strong, summertime ultraviolet light, hence it’s often given the sunshine vitamin moniker.
In recent years, vitamin D has emerged as one of the most intriguing areas of cancer research. There have been numerous epidemiological studies finding that people with less of the nutrient circulating in their blood are at an elevated risk of developing cancer compared with those who have higher levels. The list of cancers for which this trend has been observed now numbers 18 and includes some of the most common such as colon cancer and breast cancer. Other research has found that those diagnosed with cancer in summer and fall – when blood levels of the vitamin are at seasonal highs because of sun exposure – have longer survival times than people whose cancers are detected in winter and spring.
Although some researchers are fascinated by vitamin D, others are more cautious, in part because previously hyped nutrients, such as beta carotene and vitamin C, were at one time promoted for anti-cancer properties, but subsequent trials didn’t confirm any benefits and in some cases even found harm.
Vitamin D also hasn’t been subjected to the gold-standard test in medicine, a large-scale, drug-style clinical trial among people who have cancer, to confirm that it slows the progression of the disease.
Pamela Goodwin, an oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, published research last year indicating there is a possible association between low levels of vitamin D and poor prognoses for those with breast cancer. Women with low levels had an increased risk of recurrence and lower overall survival rates.
But Dr. Goodwin cautioned that such research doesn’t prove that vitamin D caused the outcomes she observed.
“We don’t have sufficient information yet to conclude that there is a causal association between vitamin D and recurrence,” she said. “The jury is still out.”
She does recommend having adequate levels of vitamin D for overall good health and said people can achieve this with supplementation of less than 1,000 IU a day.
The Department of Ag. now recomends that a person should get a mimium of 2,000 IUS of vitamin D daily. It is alsorecomended that Vitamin D3 is the best source to take.
Some doctors are now prescribing up to 50,000 IUS’s for some patiences.
Search http://www.vitamindcouncil.org
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I just got my hormone levels tested and found out that I am not getting or producing enough Vitamin D. My physician who is a bioidentical hormone specialist explained to me how important Vitamin D and what a high impact it has on the body.
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I recommend vitamin D supplements to all my cancer patients.
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Yes Vitamin D3 is extremely important and less is made the less we are exposed to the sun. But be sure to caution the lay person that you can take too much Vitamin D and your blood levels should be checked regularly.
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JERRY Reply:
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
Please read Life Extension issues of Nov, Dec, and Jan 2010 and get educated about Vitamin D ( hormone CALCIFEROL ). You will be shocked to find the recomemded values that have been tested and the results ! ! !
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Have been giving it to cancer patients and most others for 12 years – there is nothing new about this and it seems to me that lately industrial medicine is really trying to show a better face because of how many people are finding out good things. Of course they blow it a lot because they “jump in” on a perceived market without full comprehension (Tamiflu? the mutilated star anise drug is a good example)
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julie walchak Reply:
December 24th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Dear Dr. Buchanan,
I asked my primary Dr.for a vitamin D test, as i was worried about calcium absorptin, and i wanted to be sure my D levels we up to new values. she mailed me the results of the test, but with no explination of what the test results revealed.
TEST READS:
pg/mL 15-60.
VITAMIN D, 1,25-dihydroxy*87
(out*=out of range)
I am a breast cancer patient, should i be taking more D? I was told by her PA that I should cut back the D, because my blood calcium level was a little high. confused.. thank you, juli
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Dr. Karl Buchanan Reply:
December 24th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Julie ~
Sorry for my delay in responding!
1) No, you don’t want to over-do blood calcium levels though there has been a recent push, especially for women to ensure that you BC levels are adequate. New standards for BC levels are being established. Yes, ergosterol, the natural D source found in such fungi as the turkey tail mushroom I use in most all of our cancer protocols does this and you can get too much. My cancer patients start with equal portions but then reduce the t.tail as soon as they get past the hump and notice improvements. Here is the formula:
1 part reishi mushroom, 1 part cordyceps mushroom, 1/2 part turkey tail mushroom. They use 2-3 “00″ capsules of this blend 2-3 times per day according to individual weight and tolerance. The sign of too much is thirst and a lot of urinating. You do need plenty of water but you shouldn’t have to be driven crazy with urination frequency – adjust to the person always.
2) ALL my cancer patients use a vitamin supplement with each meal as well as our own house blend of the “ESSIAC” herbs. Most also use a product like “Danactive” as well.
3) Some of my cancer folk use (strange as it sounds…) 10 drops of peroxide in a glass of water twice per day for 12 weeks, then they break for four weeks and go 12 again – I’m not saying do this but that is what they do – I would/do also at times. MUST be on an EMPTY STOMACH 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after.
ALL my cancer folk self treat and use lab follow up but after they begin to feel better they only ask me if they have more questions or side effects like softened stools from too much mushroom.
The usual and only complaint I get from cancer patients after they have begun treatment have been symptoms from too much vitamins – after they start improving I step this back down to 2 then 1 vitamin a day but not until they appear to be out of danger.
I have been reviewing a product called “Chews4Health” as a completely natural vitamin product replacement for my patients and I like what I see. It costs a little ($40/month?) I would like to see all mine eating like this but being in such a poor area I am usually challenged to find replacements for things like that they can afford.
Sunshine is the vitamin D source that does not increase blood calcium so drastically so be sure you are getting plenty of that.
Hope that helps! Best wishes for your recovery!
PS – I would also be remiss if I didn’t say that the MMS mineral supplement found here is excellent and I recommend to those who can purchase it.
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Check this paper out for an alternative view on vit D: http://autoimmunityresearch.org/transcripts/AR-Albert-VitD.pdf
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Barbara Jockers Reply:
January 30th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Dear Terry, I just saw your post and read the article. The Elevier magazine is a good one. I have a few questions on the VDR physiology from the way Drs Heany and Vieth had described in earlier articles, basicly saying that the VDR sites generate their own 1-25 OH D from 25 OH D3. Have you tried to get this article or a responce to it from the Vitamin D Council or Dr Cannell?
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I have beem having wonderful luck using 2,000 mg of D3 for seasonal disorder/depression in the cold cloudy winter months, keeps me perked up all day and night. If I feel a little slump of chemistry coming on I take one dose of 5HTP and in 20 minutes I am back on track.
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Photoproduction of vitamin D – In plants or fungi, sunlight or artificial UVB rays cleave ergosterol in the B-ring to produce ergocalciferol or vitamin D2.
In a very similar reaction in skin, 7-dehydrocholesterol is cleaved to produce cholecalciferol or vitamin D3.
Both forms can be used as sources of vitamin D.
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Dr. Karl Buchanan:
I found this communication two days ago (Christmas Day) and came back to respond to your post and ask for more information from you.
I notice you say you are in a poor area, and wonder where you are and how one could access your help and information. I would like to write to you directly and privately, if that is possible, please.
I especially note that you are recommending Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide, though you did not specify that is what you were talking about. I have just gotten back on it, about a week ago, after deciding I’d prefer to be off the Protocel I was trying.
I’m interested in knowing more about the products you mentioned, and where you say to access them, inexpensively.
Thank you in advance for information about your services, your kind of doctorate, and if any insurance covers your help.
Jan Murray
Pacific Northwest of USA
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Jan ~
I think if you click on our name it takes you through to info but my email is drkarlbuchanan@yahoo.com
I am in North Central Arkansas (“Yellville”) and they access me by catching me in town or coming up the hill. Our closest two towns total about 2,000 so small enough they just approach. As far as I know insurance covers none of it as it is primarily food. We produce most of our own mycomedicinals and plant medicine preparations.
I am a GP, however I have been pretty much infectious, chronic and terminals for about 8 years now.
It’s the country and I’m no office dweller – too much else to do. If they need help they just come anytime/anywhere and rather informal really.(heh) Lot of house calls out here.
Write anytime.
Best Wishes!
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