Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs when pigment-producing cells become malignant. It is a particularly dangerous form of skin cancer because it can spread to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early.
A study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital found fewer cases of melanoma among regular users of vitamin D supplements.Experienced dermatologists also estimate that people who take vitamin D supplements regularly have a significantly lower risk of skin cancer. melanoma researchwhich involved about 500 people at high risk of skin cancer, showed that those who took vitamin D supplements regularly had a lower incidence of melanoma than those who did not.
Vitamin D is essential for the proper functioning of the human body and may be involved in various diseases. Extensive research on the relationship between vitamin D and skin cancer has focused on the correlation between calcidiol, a metabolite of vitamin D, and skin cancer. Previous research has focused on examining the association between serum levels of calcidiol and skin cancer.
The findings from these studies are inconclusive and sometimes contradictory, as serum calcidiol levels are associated with both slightly higher and slightly lower risks of different skin cancers. , serum calcidiol analysis does not provide information on vitamin D metabolism in human skin, which may produce biologically active vitamin D metabolites or express enzymes that inactivate them. This may be partly explained by the fact that
A new study conducted under the North Savo Skin Cancer Program took a different approach. 498 adult patients presumed to be at high risk for skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma were recruited into dermatology. Outpatient clinic at Kuopio University Hospital. An experienced dermatologist from the University of Eastern Finland carefully analyzed the patient’s background information and medical history and examined the skin.
Dermatologists also put patients into different skin cancer risk classes: low, intermediate, and high risk. Based on oral vitamin D supplement use, patients were divided into her three groups. Serum calcidiol levels were analyzed in half of the patients and found to correspond to self-reported use of vitamin D.
A key finding of the study was that regular vitamin D users had significantly fewer cases of melanoma than nonusers, and that regular users had significantly better skin cancer risk classification than nonusers. A logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of melanoma in regular users was significantly reduced by more than half compared to non-users.
The findings suggest that even occasional users of vitamin D may have a lower risk of melanoma than nonusers. However, there was no statistically significant association between vitamin D use and the severity of photoaging, facial photoaging, actinic keratosis, nevus count, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Serum calcidiol levels were also not significantly associated with these skin changes.
Other relatively recent studies have also provided evidence of vitamin D benefits in melanoma, including an association between low-grade melanoma and vitamin D.
“These previous studies confirm new findings here from the Northern Savó region of Finland. However, the optimal dose of oral vitamin D to produce beneficial effects remains an open question. Until we know more, we have to follow the national intake recommendations,” said Ilkka Harvima, professor of dermatology and allergy at the University of Eastern Finland.
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital previously reported (BMC Cancer 2021) that melanoma mortality in North Sabo is relatively high in relation to its incidence.
“For this reason too, it is worth paying attention to adequate vitamin D intakes for people in this region,” concludes Harvima.
See: “Regular use of vitamin D supplements is associated with fewer cases of melanoma compared with no use: A cross-sectional study of 498 adult subjects at risk of skin cancer. Research,” Emilia Kanasuo, Hanna Siskonen, Sarah Haimakainen, Jenni Komlainen, Ilkka T. Harvima, 14 November 2022, Available here. melanoma research.
DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000870
