Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

Breast cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to survive the disease as women with low levels of this nutrient, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the March issue of Anticancer Research.

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Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

Linn65 = take your Vitamin D!!!

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

Oh geez!! Good thing I am taking my BIG DOSE of Vit D!! Don't be giving me telling me what to do when I am already doing it!! So aggressive!! LMAO.

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I was told I had very low vit D levels about 3 years before I was diagnosed and started taking Vit D3 right away. At the time of my surgery, my surgeon (a big proponent of vit D) tested my levels and said they were "what some might call toxic" so she said I should take less. I was probably taking 4000 to 5000 units daily thinking more was better. So now I just take one 2500 unit Vit D. Curious what folks here are taking.

When I read about the study I was wondering why taking vitamin D didn't prevent the tumor I had from growing so large so rapidly. I guess this might fall under the "your mileage may vary" category.

Shirley

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

You end up figuring out what is right for you. I take 4000iu daily but my level is 60. The range is 30-100 for normal so I need a hefty dose to stay in the good range. Someone else may need much less or even more.

This article is insightful because it mentions that tumors have receptors for some of the vitamin d breakdown components and that they tend to be present when tumors are small and thus, if you take enough D then, it curtails growth. But what does "small" mean? Microscopic where it would take years to detect? We just don't know enough yet. Also, it can be the chicken and the egg of which researchers are trying to figure out. Do you have low D levels because you have cancer or did you get cancer because you have low D levels? Since humans don't live outside anymore and when we are outside, we slather ourselves with sunscreen (which prevents our skin from manufacturing Vitamin D naturally), having low D levels seems that we are doing ourselves wrong by not taking it. It hasn't been (evolutionarily speaking) that we have lived this way and we haven't evolved enough yet.

So, get your readings and take vitamin D if needed and then get them done again so you know how to adjust the amount. I started with 2000 but it barely got me to 30. After all these years, I know 4000 iu a day is the right dose for me so everyone has to figure out what is the right dose for them.

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

Becky,

I have 9 more weeks with the once a week dose, so I will be interested if my levels improve!! Sooo many things I took for granted.

I was inspired by your osteopenia not being detected. Never have I been faithful with Vitamin's like I am now...Does that mean I am getting old!! Crap on a crap stick!! LOL

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I haven't posted in a while, so I am amazed to find this topic here today. I am an eight year survivor (stage 1). Through the years I've read Becky's posts about Vitamin D, but didn't think I could be low. I take calcium and extra D every day -- about 1600 units. My bone density is good. Last year my gyn gave me a script for a vitamin D test, but I didn't bother to take it. This year she really leaned on me to get the test. My score was 13 and the min. ok score is 30. I was so surprised. So I'm going on a high dose and seeing her again week 13. I do struggle with chronic depression -- SAD. I wonder.......

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I agree that 60 is the aim level, but if you can obtain it with only 2000 IU /d, maybe that is best. I think you don't want to overwhelm my body with too much of something, just enough, cause I wonder if too much might be a bad idea too ...
Link to limits....
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/fe...much-vitamin-d

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I agree that 60 is the aim level, but if I can obtain it with only 2000 IU /d, maybe that is best. I think I don't want to overwhelm my body with too much of something, just enough, cause I wonder if too much might be a bad idea, too, in regard to cardiovascular calcification ...
Link to limits....
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/fe...much-vitamin-d

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_D

It would be nice to know an exact level at which would be the limits on cardio health for vitamin D3.

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I read in one of my pharmacy journals that a Vitamin D level of 40-60 nanograms per ml of vitamin D was valuable for prevention. This author stated for treatment of already established breast cancer the level should be raised to 80ng/ml Vitamin D (active metabolite. This sounds a bit high but apparently isn't toxic.

Paul

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

It sounds like the most important decision is to be tested for Vitamin D levels and if supplementing having follow up testing.

I imagine the cost of testing for Vitamin D is extremely low as compared to the cost of developing cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I get tested for Vitamin D every time I see the oncologist. Used to be every 6 months before new cancer, now every 3. She doesn't like it to be above 65 or so.

To be honest, I've been taking Vitamin D supplements for 12 years (2000 IU) and have always been in the 60's, sometimes in the low 70's.

Yes, I've survived (so far) breast cancer twice but it didn't help prevent it from re-appearing after 12 years.

Re: Vitamin D boosts survival of breast cancer patients
 

I read 30ng/ml or 75nmol/l is the level for healthy vit D and ca prevention from a professional medical journal.

PS CATCH SOME RAYS!!

http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org...465-1/fulltext

dosing sugg.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912737/