Vitamin D and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers but treatment has limited success and survival rates remain low. The active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, has anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic actions in lung carcinoma cell lines in vitro. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer, and lung cancer survival varies according to vitamin D receptor genotype. Randomized controlled trials should be performed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation might have a role as an adjunct to conventional treatments for lung cancer.