Breast cancer under control

RIO DE JANEIRO (EFE).— Vitamin D supplementation significantly increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy in the treatment of women with breast cancer, nearly doubling the likelihood of tumor remission, according to a study by Brazil's Universidad Regional Paulista (Unesp) released Thursday.

The results of the study with 80 women showed that the tumor disappeared in 43% of patients who underwent chemotherapy and were given low-dose vitamin D supplements, while only 24% of those given a placebo achieved complete treatment success.

The research showed that administering the vitamin during treatment is a potential alternative to expensive and difficult-to-access drugs that aim to increase the response to chemotherapy, reported the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP), which funded the study.

"With a low dose, we observed a notable difference in the response to treatment," said Eduardo Carvalho-Pessoa, co-author of the study and president of the Brazilian Society of Mastology, quoted in a Fapesp press release.

The research, whose results were highlighted in the latest edition of the international scientific journal Nutrition and Cancer, analyzed 80 women over the age of 45 with breast cancer treated at the Hospital das Clínicas in Botucatu, a municipality in the interior of the state of São Paulo.

Divided into two groups, 40 received 2,000 IU (units) of vitamin D daily and 40 a placebo for six months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which is performed to facilitate surgery to remove the tumor.

Most participants had low vitamin D levels, and supplementation increased these levels in those who achieved the best results, suggesting a role in recovery.

Vitamin D, key to bone health and the immune system, is absorbed through both sunlight exposure and diet, but excess vitamin D can be toxic and cause kidney problems.

Study Importance

The study opens the way for research with more participants, according to FAPESP.

Investigation

“These results warrant larger studies to understand the role of vitamin D in breast cancer remission,” said Eduardo Carvalho-Pessoa, co-author of the study and president of the Brazilian Society of Mastology.