MelanomaPrevention

There is some evidence that dietary vitamin D reduces the risk of melanoma12.

This meta-analysis probably underestimates the effect of vitamin D for two reasons:

  • dietary vitamin D is a small component of the total vitamin D supply, and
  • the beneficial effect of vitamin D may come much earlier in life than studied in observational studies.

A recent review suggested that vitamin D might reduce the risk of developing melanoma, and that serum 25(OH)D levels of 75-100 nmol/L (30-40 ng/mL) might be adequate3.

Page last edited: 18 July 2011

References

  1. Gandini, S. Raimondi, S. Gnagnarella, P. Dore, J. F. Maisonneuve, P. Testori, A. Vitamin D and skin cancer: a meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer. 2009 Mar; 45 (4): 634-41.
  2. Millen, A. E. Tucker, M. A. Hartge, P. Halpern, A. Elder, D. E. Guerry, D. th Holly, E. A. Sagebiel, R. W. Potischman, N. Diet and melanoma in a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Jun; 13 (6): 1042-51.
  3. Field, S. Newton-Bishop, J. A. Melanoma and vitamin D. Molecular oncology. 2011 Apr; 5 (2): 197-214.