Vitamin D Boosts Pancreatic Cancer Survival

Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute conducted a small study on 36 patients with previously untreated, metastasized pancreatic cancer. The study found that patients receiving paricalcitol, a synthetic form of vitamin D, alongside chemotherapy experienced a significant survival boost one year after the trial. This vitamin D analog reduced inflammation and fibroblasts, which form a protective shield around tumors, and increased immune T-cell infiltration. Ronald Evans, a co-author, highlighted this as a novel approach to cracking therapeutic resistance in pancreatic cancer. The United States — Food and Drug Administration-approved synthetic vitamin D was designed for prolonged action. The findings, published in Nature Cancer in May, suggest that vitamin D supplementation could be a safe and effective way to enhance standard chemotherapy for this difficult-to-treat cancer, though more testing is needed.