Impact of Vitamin D on Colorectal Cancer Outcomes

Data are emerging that confirm the importance of vitamin D in colorectal cancer (CRC), in terms of both preventing the disease and affecting outcome. In fact, a presentation at the 2015 ASCO Gastrointestinal Symposium from Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, showed that among patients with metastatic CRC who were enrolled in the CALGB 80405 trial, higher concentrations of plasma vitamin D were associated with improved overall and progression-free survival.

Information about baseline vitamin D levels and vitamin D usage were prospectively collected in the study. Those with the highest quintile of vitamin D level had significantly longer survival than those in the lowest quintile— 32.6 months versus 24.5 months after adjusting for clinical and pathologic prognostic factors and other potential confounders.

“You could argue about what the right cutoff is for vitamin D, but this is a part of the research that the group at Dana Farber has done for many years,” says Alan Venook, MD. “This analysis was embedded into 80405 and it is a striking finding!” The panelists agree that although the exact appropriate physiologic level of vitamin D is unclear, it can’t hurt to measure it.