Vitamin D may reduce pain during breast cancer treatment

AORN Journal,  May, 2006  

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Patients with breast cancer who are being treated with the medication anastrozole may benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, according to a March 30, 2006, news release from the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis. Anastrozole has been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen in treating estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, but some patients experience painful side effects when taking anastrozole, including significant joint tenderness, stiffness, and muscle or skeletal pain. Researchers found that many patients experiencing these symptoms often have suboptimal levels of vitamin D in their blood. When these patients take vitamin D supplements, they often have complete resolution of their pain.

Vitamin D helps regulate cell growth, immune function, blood pressure, insulin secretion, and calcium absorption. Most people's diets are tow in vitamin D, and because of the increased use of sunscreens and general health concerns regarding sun exposure, many people do not get adequate sun exposure for their skin to naturally produce enough of the vitamin. Future research will examine whether high-dose vitamin D supplementation may alleviate muscle and joint pain in patients who are taking anastrozole.

Breast Cancer Patients Taking Arimidex May Get Pain Relief From Vitamin D (news release, St Louis: Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, March 30, 2006) http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page /normal/6902.html (accessed 5 April 2006).

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