Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center study challenges recent Institute of Medicine conclusions.
A recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report surprised the Vitamin D community by claiming most people have sufficient Vitamin D levels and that supplementation is not necessary. Multiple studies have shown this not to be the case, and a recent study from Memorial Sloan Ketering Cancer Center (MSKCC) presented at ASCO 2011 confirms this as incorrect.
A study was performed with MSKCC patients who had Vitamin D levels assessed between January 1, 2003 to June 31, 2010. Demographic information including age, race, BMI and survival status were obtained.
There were 23,909 serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D tests ordered from January 1, 2003 through June 30, 2010 for 12,817 unique individuals. The largest volume of tests (57%) was performed in breast cancer patients. The next largest volume was performed in colorectal cancer patients with (9%), leukemia (7%) and lymphoma (7%).
75.8% of patients tested were deficient in Vitamin D as defined by serum levels <30 ng/ml. The median Vitamin D level was 24.6 ng/ml.
In 2003 there were 396 D tests ordered; 846 in 2006, 1711 D tests in 2007, 3928 D tests in 2008 and 8133 D tests in 2009. The vast majority of patients who had their serum Vitamin D level monitored were deficient. It is clear that there has been an exponential increase in the volume of Vitamin D tests ordered over the past 3 years as awareness of the consequences of Vitamin D deficiency has become widely known.
The MSKCC study concluded that the majority of patients (75.8%) had Vitamin D levels below 30ng/ml and were, therefore, deficient. This directly contradicts the opinion of the recent IOM recommendations on Vitamin D supplementation.
J Clin Oncol 29: 2011 (suppl; abstr 9121)
Author(s):
K. M. Wesa, K. S. Yeung, G. Jacobs, M. Coleton, B. R. Cassileth; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
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