Skip to content
Nutrition — Science — Cance — Health-and-wellness — Chronic-diseases — Supplements — Medical-conditions

Linking vitamins to colitis treatment and cancer therapy

Powerful cancer drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors are on the rise, offering hope yet bearing a hefty cost. These drugs can potentially trigger colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease analogous to colorectal cancer. In light of this, scientists are exploring a widely accessible...

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
Affordable cancer treatments, such as checkpoint inhibitors, exhibit promising results but are...
Affordable cancer treatments, such as checkpoint inhibitors, exhibit promising results but are associated with a potentially severe side effect: colitis, a strain of irritable bowel disease that increases the risk of colorectal cancer. As a result, scientists are examining the potential of a common supplement as a means to not only minimize cancer occurrence but also enhance the efficacy of cancer therapies.

Linking vitamins to colitis treatment and cancer therapy

Study Finds Vitamin D May Reduce Risk of Colitis and Colorectal Cancer in Cancer Patients Undergoing Immunotherapy

Recent research suggests that vitamin D has potential benefits beyond strong bones, extending to patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, particularly those receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

ICIs have been increasingly used to treat various malignancies, eliciting robust immune responses that may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in any organ system, including the gastrointestinal tract, such as colitis. Vitamin D, known for its ability to modulate immune function, may potentially affect the risk of such adverse events.

Evidence is emerging regarding the relationship between vitamin D, colitis, and colorectal cancer risk in patients undergoing ICI therapy, although direct studies specifically addressing this triad remain limited.

Vitamin D's influence on colitis risk in patients receiving ICIs is not yet clear, but preliminary findings suggest that the nutrient may help reduce inflammatory responses and lessen the risk of ICI-induced colitis, though this requires further investigation.

Regarding colorectal cancer, epidemiological studies have associated higher vitamin D levels with a reduced risk of the disease. However, these findings are primarily based on observational data from broader populations, not specifically patients on ICIs.

Moreover, ICI therapy is not typically used for colorectal cancer except in cases with microsatellite instability or high tumor mutational burden. While their use in other cancers may potentially impact CRC risk through immune surveillance, there is currently no evidence indicating that ICIs directly increase or decrease CRC risk per se.

Studies conducted by Dr. Osama Rahma of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston examined whether vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of colitis in cancer patients receiving ICIs. Previous studies found that vitamin D has a similar effect on the immune system in people with autoimmune disorders and cases of inflammatory bowel disease.

In Dr. Rahma's study, patients with melanoma who took vitamin D supplements before ICI treatment experienced a 65% lower chance of developing colitis. This is not the first time vitamin D has been linked to colitis and irritable bowel disease, with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients often showing vitamin D deficiencies.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston conducted a study to determine if lower levels of vitamin D were related to relapses amongst ulcerative colitis patients. Blood sample analysis revealed that ulcerative colitis patients with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to experience a relapse compared to those with higher levels of the vitamin.

Fortunately, obtaining adequate vitamin D levels is straightforward, given the availability of vitamin D-rich foods such as salmon, trout, canned tuna, sardines, soy milk, mushrooms, egg yolks, cheese, beef liver, and fortified breakfast cereals and oatmeal. It is also worth noting that when skin is exposed to sunlight, it generates its own vitamin D from cholesterol.

In conclusion, while the relationship between vitamin D, colitis, and colorectal cancer risk under ICI therapy is complex, vitamin D supplementation may potentially reduce the risk of colitis for patients receiving immunotherapy, although further research is needed to fully understand its impact.

  1. In cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy, such as those receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), recent research suggests that vitamin D may hold potential benefits beyond just maintaining strong bones, specifically in relation to medical-conditions like colitis and chronic diseases like colorectal cancer.
  2. Emerging evidence indicates that there might be a relationship between vitamin D, colitis, and colorectal cancer risk in patients undergoing ICI therapy, although direct studies focusing on this triad are still limited.
  3. Vitamin D's influence on colitis risk in patients receiving ICIs is not entirely clear, but preliminary findings hint that the nutrient may help reduce inflammatory responses and lessen the risk of ICI-induced colitis, necessitating further investigation.
  4. In the realm of health-and-wellness, studies suggest that higher vitamin D levels could be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, although these findings are primarily based on observational data from broader populations, not specifically patients on ICIs.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest