From BBC website

[Guest guest]

Vitamin D 'aids lung cancer ops'

 

Lung cancer is responsible for nearly a quarter of all cancer deaths

Lung cancer patients who have surgery in the winter are 40% more

likely to die of the disease than those operated on in the summer, a

US study suggests.

A study of 456 patients found high levels of vitamin D - from sun

exposure and food supplements - had a positive impact on the success

of surgery.

 

The Harvard University team said more research was needed and

patients should not expect surgery in the summer.

 

UK experts said it was interesting but warned sun exposure could be

dangerous.

 

Lead researcher Wei Zhou said: " This study in no way suggests that

people should try to time their cancer surgeries for a particular

season - that would obviously be impossible.

 

Although vitamin D is made by our bodies in response to sunlight,

we actually need relatively little exposure to maintain healthy

levels

 

Dr Kat Arney, of Cancer Research UK

 

" But if validated it may mean that increasing a patient's use of

vitamin D before such surgery could offer a survival benefit. "

 

Researchers studied the treatment of 456 lung cancer patients of

which only 10% had had either radiation treatment of chemotherapy.

 

Looking at the effect of the seasons, the team found patients who had

operations in the winter were 40% more likely to die from their

cancer than those who had the operation in the summer.

 

When the joint effect of the season and vitamin D levels were taken

into consideration, there was a three-fold better chance of survival,

evidence presented to the American Association of Cancer Research

showed.

 

Lung cancer is responsible for 33,600 deaths a year in the UK -

nearly a quarter of the total number of cancer mortalities.

 

Evidence

 

The reason for the effect of the vitamin was not clear either, the

researchers said.

 

Dr Kat Arney, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said

more research was needed to see if increasing the levels of vitamin D

before surgery would be beneficial.

 

But she added: " There is no substantial evidence to suggest that

excessive sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation can have a

protective effect against cancer in healthy people.

 

" Although vitamin D is made by our bodies in response to sunlight, we

actually need relatively little exposure to maintain healthy levels.

 

" Any extra vitamin D made in this way cannot be stored. Cancer

Research UK advises everyone to be 'SunSmart', as prolonged

sunbathing, sunbed use and especially sunburn in children can all

increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. "