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BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Vitamin D already controls the speed of cell replication; a process often impacted by cancer, and it is also associated with lowering risks of colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Now a recent study says certain women at risk for developing skin cancer melanoma, may cut their risk in half by taking vitamin D/calcium supplements.
USA Today reports Tang's study used information on 36,282 postmenopausal women, 50 to 79 years old, The women were assigned at random to take supplements to see if calcium and vitamin D had any effect on hip fractures or colon cancer.
Over about a seven-year period, the women taking the supplements who had previous non-melanoma skin cancer reduced their risk of developing melanoma by 57 percent. The melanoma risk reduction was not seen among women who had not had an earlier non-melanoma skin cancer. Only 176 cases of melanoma developed in the entire study.
According to Fox News, further research is necessary due to the low number of women in the study who had melanoma. "We're not recommending super high doses of vitamin D", study author Dr. Jean Tang, from Stanford University School of Medicine said, adding, "I feel good about saying if you've already had a non-melanoma skin cancer, you're already at risk for developing melanoma later, so taking a little bit of calcium and vitamin D, seems reasonable and not harmful."Ivanhoe.com reports men were not included in this study. Researchers are not certain whether the effect of the supplements shown in the study would also apply to men with a similar history of non-melanoma skin cancer. Dr. Michael Holick, professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said he thinks the finding would be the same for men and other groups.
Tang plans to research the possible relationship between vitamin D and cancer prevention.
