Calcium and vitamin D mix 'drastically cuts melanoma risk'
Tuesday 28th June 2011
Calcium and vitamin D could potentially cut the risk of melanoma in half for some women in a high risk group for the skin cancer, according to research.
The Stanford University School of Medicine team used data from a large clinical trial, focusing on women with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer, who are at an increased risk of developing the more lethal form of the condition.
Researchers found that women who had had non-melanoma skin cancer and took the calcium-vitamin D combination developed 57 per cent fewer melanomas than participants who also a history of non-melanoma skin cancer and were not given the supplements.
However, women without a history of non-melanoma skin cancer who also received the supplements did not experience any reduction in risk compared to the control group, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Dermatologist Jean Tang commented: "In preventive medicine, we want to target people most at risk for the disease.
"If you previously had a non-melanoma skin cancer, calcium plus vitamin D might reduce your risk of the more deadly melanoma."
As no men were included in the trial, it is unknown whether the supplement would have any effect on men with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer.
A wealth of previous research has suggested that Vitamin D is linked to lower risks of colon, breast, prostate and other cancers. In many parts of the body, the vitamin affects how quickly cells replicate - a process involved in cancer.
In other news, research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has identified six subtypes of an aggressive form of breast cancer known as "triple-negative breast cancer".
While some patients with the condition respond to standard chemotherapy, triple-negative breast cancer tumours are more likely to reoccur after treatment and have a poorer prognosis.
Researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have identified six different subtypes of the treatment which respond to different therapies, potentially improving the outcome for individuals with this cancer.
Posted by Megan Smith
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