Can vitamin D levels influence the chances of survival in patients with prostate cancer?

This study examined the levels of vitamin D in patients with prostate cancer (PC) to see if they were linked to patients’ chances of survival. The results showed that patients with higher levels of active vitamin D had a greater chance of survival.

Vitamin D is made from sun exposure and can be found in two forms in the body. 25(OH)D is the inactive form that is converted to the active 1,25(OH)₂D when needed. Active vitamin D has been shown to stop the growth of cancer cells and may increase the survival of patients. It can be difficult to measure active vitamin D levels so inactive vitamin D levels are frequently used to estimate how much vitamin D a patient has. It is unclear if vitamin D levels impact the survival of patients with PC.

Data from 1119 patients with PC were examined. Patients’ results were available for an average of 97 months. 

Patients with higher levels of active vitamin D had a 55% higher chance of survival. Inactive vitamin D levels were not linked to the survival of patients. Patients who spent more time outdoors during a week had a 45% higher chance of survival.

Vitamin D was most beneficial to patients with aggressive (difficult to control) PC. High vitamin D levels reduced the risk of death in patients with aggressive PC by 72%. 

The authors concluded that high levels of active vitamin D increase patients’ chances of survival, especially patients with aggressive PC.

This study used medical records data so not all information was available. It is unclear if vitamin D levels are depleted during cancer treatment which may also affect results.