Researchers at the Salk Institute found that patients with pancreatic cancer who received a type of vitamin D lived longer after chemotherapy. The study, which included 36 patients with previously untreated pancreatic cancer that had metastasized, found that those taking paricalcitol, a synthetic form of vitamin D, experienced a significant survival boost one year after the trial.

Treatment and Results

The supplement, administered orally or by injection, reduced the presence of inflammation and fibroblasts, thick mats of connective tissue cells that form a protective shield around many cancers. The study also found that adding vitamin supplementation to chemotherapy was safe and appeared to reduce the density of protective tissue surrounding tumors while increasing the presence of immune T-cells.

The researchers noted that patients with more receptors for vitamin D had a stronger response to the therapy. They said more testing is needed to see how and when to incorporate vitamin D into the therapy. The study was published in the journal Nature Cancer in May.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.