Vitamin D levels affect the overall survival of patients with melanoma. This is the conclusion of a study whose results were presented at the 31st Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).
Previous research has shown that normal levels of vitamin D play a protective role in the survival of patients with melanoma. This study aimed to better understand that relationship. In the retrospective study, Spanish researchers analyzed data from 264 patients with invasive melanoma.
They found that patients with vitamin D deficiency (less than 10 ng/ml) after their melanoma diagnosis were 2 times more likely to have a lower overall survival than patients with vitamin D levels equal to/greater than 10 ng/ml. A vitamin D deficiency did not appear to affect melanoma-specific survival.
The findings remained significant even when the model was adjusted for age at diagnosis, gender, Breslow index and season of year. In contrast to previous studies, this study showed that the basal characteristics at the diagnosis of melanoma (age, sex, patient phototype, location, histological subtype, Breslow index, ulceration and mitotic index) were not associated with differences in vitamin D levels. mirrors.
Bron:
Gracia-Darder I, et al. Vitamin D deficiency in melanoma patients is associated with worse overall survival: a retrospective cohort study. Melanoma Res. 2022;32:384-387.