Breast Cancer Patients, Low Vitamin D

Part of Breast Cancer Awareness is also knowing how to take care of yourself if you do have breast cancer.

Women with breast cancer are very likely to have low levels of vitamin D, say researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center. Vitamin D, found in milk and fortified cereals, is important for bone health, and breast cancer patients may experience accelerated bone loss with hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

In the study, nearly 70% of breast cancer patients had low levels of vitamin D. Women with late-stage disease and non-Caucasian women had the lowest levels. Women with a deficiency in vitamin D in the study showed improvement after they were given high weekly doses of vitamin D: 50,000 international units or more.

Researchers report that it’s vital for women and their doctors to work together to avoid vitamin D deficiency, which could lead to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include common experiences that many women undergoing breast cancer treatment already face: low energy, fatigue, muscle pain, weak bones or fractures, lowered immunity, symptoms of depression, mood swings and sleep irregularities.

Researcher Luke Peppone, Ph.D. reports that the finding of low levels of vitamin D in breast cancer patients isn’t surprising since other studies have shown that nearly half of adults are deficient in the vitamin, which can be gained by exposure to sunlight.

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