Vitamin D May Curb Breast Cancer: Study

Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma yield to new approaches

(NEWSER) - New treatments for cancer—breast, ovarian, and skin—raised hopes at this weekend's meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The findings aren't enough for Robert Langreth of Forbes , who sees "serious questions about whether big drug companies may be rushing too fast." Judge for yourself.

• A single dose of radiation administered at the site of tumor removal deterred recurrence of breast cancer as well as the standard grueling course of radiation on the entire breast, the Chicago Tribune reports.

(NEWSER) - Too much time inside has left millions of American kids with shockingly low levels of Vitamin D, two new studies conclude. Roughly 9% of all 1- to 21-year-olds—7.6 million—were found to be Vitamin D deficient—putting them at higher risk for bone problems, heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments—while another 61% have levels deemed insufficient. “It’s astounding,” says one researcher. “At first we couldn’t believe the numbers.” More»

(NEWSER) - Vitamin D is "one hot topic" among nutritionists, the Los Angeles Times reports, and it's about to get hotter. More than 2,000 studies on the so-called sunshine vitamin have been published this year alone, exploring its role in everything from reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer and diabetes to boosting memory and weight control. Amid the research surge, an Institute of Medicine committee meets next week to discuss raising the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. More»

Exposure increases vitamin D, helps fight non-skin varieties

(NEWSER) - Getting a little bit more sun may actually reduce the risk of dying from some forms of cancer, a new study says. Brief exposure spurs the production of vitamin D in the body, which helps patients survive bouts with internal cancers—colon, lung, breast, and prostate. That benefit may outweigh any risks of developing skin cancer, the researchers say. More»