Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby radnyc » Tue Jan 13, 2015 11:33 am

This is an NIH funded study, very positive results:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vitamin-d-m ... -survival/
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015

User avatar
exaussie
Posts: 618
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:19 am
Location: Silverton OR
Contact:

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby exaussie » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:05 pm

We couldn't get my sons levels to rise even on high supplements. Scarily enough his sister level is lower. Drs say its living in the north that makes it more difficult to get the level to rise due to lack of sunshine.
DS 26 yrs old diagnosed 6/13 T3N2aM1b
Resection 6/13
6 rounds chemo folfax
12/13 Fissure
hernia surgery 12/13
5 months break
Maintenance chemo 3/14
Crazy growth. Liver failing. Folfox and vectibex 7-29-14
Chemo failure Hospice 8/26
Left us 8/28

KWT
Posts: 3214
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby KWT » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:06 pm

I miss the sun. I think I was a lizard in a past life

radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby radnyc » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:18 pm

exaussie, it's important that Vitamin D3 is used, often people are given the D2 form of the vitamin which is not the one usually studied for colon cancer.

Al
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015

User avatar
dianetavegia
Posts: 2731
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 8:47 pm
Facebook Username: Diane Weldy Tavegia
Location: Villa Rica, Georgia

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby dianetavegia » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:40 pm

It takes 6,000 IU a day to keep my Vit. D3 level at 100 -101.

Labcorp now shows a high normal of 100.

Lisa42 had to use the sublingual spray to get her level into the 30's and she lived in California.
Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12

14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2

User avatar
exaussie
Posts: 618
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:19 am
Location: Silverton OR
Contact:

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby exaussie » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:47 pm

My son was on 10,000 D3 per day and his level stayed around 15
My daughter is on 10,000 D3 per day and her level is 11 which is up from 9 ugh Oregon-the non-sunshine state
DS 26 yrs old diagnosed 6/13 T3N2aM1b
Resection 6/13
6 rounds chemo folfax
12/13 Fissure
hernia surgery 12/13
5 months break
Maintenance chemo 3/14
Crazy growth. Liver failing. Folfox and vectibex 7-29-14
Chemo failure Hospice 8/26
Left us 8/28

KWT
Posts: 3214
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby KWT » Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:38 pm

Do you take the d3 with food?

Now the I'm an Oregonian it may be wise to start.

radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby radnyc » Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:51 pm

It's recommended to take Vitamin D with your main daily mean for maximum absorption.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20100507 ... rgest-meal

the study found that: "After two or three months, the study participants had about a 50% increase in blood levels of the vitamin, regardless of the dose they took." When taking it with your biggest meal.

Also, magnesium can be added to enhance vitamin d absorption.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/201106 ... lcium.aspx
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015

radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby radnyc » Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:58 pm

It may also be important to know, for those not in the US, that the way Vitamin D is measured in the here is different than in most parts of the world. The good old metric vs english measure conundrum. For instance it's recommend that a helpful level of vitamin d for us in the states should be 35 to 40 ng/ml, most everywhere else that number should be 90-100 nmol/L. So, if you're in Germany let's say and your level reads 80, you are deficient.
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015

User avatar
exaussie
Posts: 618
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 1:19 am
Location: Silverton OR
Contact:

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby exaussie » Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:47 pm

Kenny yes, Drs sasy to take with food so we do at dinner. We pass the bottle around...
DS 26 yrs old diagnosed 6/13 T3N2aM1b
Resection 6/13
6 rounds chemo folfax
12/13 Fissure
hernia surgery 12/13
5 months break
Maintenance chemo 3/14
Crazy growth. Liver failing. Folfox and vectibex 7-29-14
Chemo failure Hospice 8/26
Left us 8/28

midlifemom
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:58 am
Location: NJ

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby midlifemom » Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:15 pm

For those of us with insufficient sunlight, would one of those 'full-spectrum' lights help?
Stage 3 cc - dx Jan '14 age 53, cea 2.9
t2n2m0, KRAS mutant, MSS
Folfox Feb - Aug '14
Nov '14 cea 27.7 -2 liver masses
Dec '14 left lobectomy and HAI
Jan '15 FUDR and FOLFIRI
Aug '15 fudr done, liver clear, add avastin for lungs. Cea 4.3
Feb '16 CEA rising
May '16 2 wk break then drop Iri for 6 weeks.
Jul '16 cancer grew, constricted main bile duct. Stent inserted. On break till jaundice clears. CEA climbing. Doing reduced Folfox. Allergic to Oxali.
Sep'16 chemo failed. Trial or hospice?

KWT
Posts: 3214
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:22 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby KWT » Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:27 pm

midlifemom wrote:For those of us with insufficient sunlight, would one of those 'full-spectrum' lights help?


They help with the. S.A.D.

JDinNC
Posts: 771
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:49 pm
Location: Murphy, N.C.

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby JDinNC » Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:00 pm

At the time of my cancer DX, my D3 was below the low range. My doctor put me on 1,000 but after 3 months I realized I had bought 5,000 taking them for 4 months. Was scared that I might OD on so much., my Dec bloodwork showed my level is at 94.6 the high range is 100

Oh, and I lived in Ft. lauderdale for over 50 years and was a outdoor person...and I still had low Vit D levels. And I have skin cancer....guess I'm a freak nature....lol
61 y/o female @ DX...........
T3N0M1
6/13 DX- stage 4
Sigmoid colon cancer.
One met to lung
7/13 colon resection
8/13 lung resection
7/17 four years....NED
8/18 five years....NED
MELANOMA
63 y/o @ DX
6/15 stage 2a
7/15 surgery on arm
7/15 NED
4/16 recurrance
5/16 remove metastasis from back
5/16. Started immunotherapy
8/16 discontinue treatment
7/18...PET scan...NED

User avatar
dianetavegia
Posts: 2731
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 8:47 pm
Facebook Username: Diane Weldy Tavegia
Location: Villa Rica, Georgia

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby dianetavegia » Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:12 pm

Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12

14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2

radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Higher Vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer survival

Postby radnyc » Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:28 pm

The jury still seems to be out as to what a "normal" level of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D should be. According to the NIH:

"There is considerable discussion of the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D associated with deficiency (e.g., rickets), adequacy for bone health, and optimal overall health, and cut points have not been developed by a scientific consensus process. Based on its review of data of vitamin D needs, a committee of the Institute of Medicine concluded that persons are at risk of vitamin D deficiency at serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30 nmol/L (<12 ng/mL). Some are potentially at risk for inadequacy at levels ranging from 30–50 nmol/L (12–20 ng/mL). Practically all people are sufficient at levels ≥50 nmol/L (≥20 ng/mL); the committee stated that 50 nmol/L is the serum 25(OH)D level that covers the needs of 97.5% of the population. Serum concentrations >125 nmol/L (>50 ng/mL) are associated with potential adverse effects"

According to this <12 ng/mL is deficient, >50 ng/mL is potentially harmful. So pick a number in the middle? I like to keep mine in the mid-forties, I'm comfortable there, I take 5000 iu/day. As with anything the key is not to over do it.

Al
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 125 guests