Low Vitamin D May Mean Worse Breast Cancer

Preliminary, but Promising

Overall, many cancer experts said that they are encouraged by the results of this study, though remain cautious in making any specific recommendations to their patients on supplementing their vitamin D as a method of preventing cancer or improving cancer outcomes.

"I agree with researchers for putting study in proper light -- that it's a preliminary study and needs to be confirmed by more research, and doctors should not make specific recommendations to women with breast cancer based on this study," said Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society currently recommends that people should be taking 1,000 international units of vitamin D every day -- or one vitamin D supplement pill daily. However, without more research on the specific impact that vitamin D has on cancer prevention and cancer outcomes, many experts said they are unable to provide a one-size-fits-all recommendation to cancer patients on how they can use this vitamin to improve their chances of survival.

"We need to get arms around vitamin D and its impact on health," Lichtenfeld said. "We need to figure out how much should we be taking, how and if it reduces cancer risk or changes the course of cancer once it is diagnosed.

"These are very important questions, and we need to get the appropriate people together to make recommendations on what we should be telling our patients about this," he said.