High-dose vitamin D3 not useful for metastatic colorectal cancer: Researchers
New York, Sep. 15, (IANS): US researchers stated on Sunday that individuals with metastatic colorectal cancer do not benefit from high-dose vitamin D3.
A phase 3 clinical trial that was randomised and spread over several hundred cancer centres was headed by researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the United States. examined the possibility of supplementing routine care for patients with untreated metastatic colorectal cancer with high-dose vitamin D3.
The researchers reported that over 450 patients were randomly assigned to receive either regular or high-dose vitamin D3 in addition to standard chemotherapy and bevacizumab.
The researchers found no new alarming toxicities or side effects when high-dose vitamin D3 was added.
However, the team’s research after a median 20-month follow-up showed that adding high-dose vitamin D3 to regular treatment did not slow the spread of cancer more than standard-dose vitamin D3.
Researchers found that patients with left-sided disease (primary tumours arising in the descending colon, sigmoid colon, or rectum) may benefit from high-dose vitamin D3. However, more research is needed to confirm this advantage.
The SOLARIS trial was motivated by earlier findings that higher blood levels of vitamin D are linked to better metastatic colorectal cancer survival. Additionally, the researchers found that adding high-dose vitamin D3 to standard therapy may enhance progression-free survival.
The authors underlined that the SOLARIS data do not support the recommendation of high-dose vitamin D3 as a treatment for individuals whose metastatic colon cancer remains untreated.
