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There is no need to convince anyone today that it is worth supplementing vitamin D, and its deficiency affects the condition of the entire body. It turns out that the list of benefits of taking the popular “vitamin of the sun” may be longer by one important position. Scientists in Japan have discovered that vitamin D can help women with ovarian cancer by preventing cancer cells from metastasizing.
- Ovarian cancer is one of the most difficult cancers in women to detect. It has been virtually asymptomatic for a long time
- At the same time, it is characterized by a relatively high mortality. One in 108 women will die of ovarian cancer
- The discovery of Japanese scientists may significantly increase the chances of patients with this type of cancer
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Vitamin D protects against metastasis in patients with ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly cancers. According to statistics, 1 in 78 women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 108 will die of it. One of the reasons is that the disease uses the body’s own defenses against it.
The tumor often metastasizes to the peritoneum, but this is hindered by the cells lining it, forming the so-called mesothelium. Unfortunately, ovarian cancer cells can turn mesothelial cells so that they start to promote metastasis – instead of protecting against them.
As it turned out now, vitamin D not only prevents this, but even restores already changed cells to an earlier state that protects against metastasis.
– We have shown the potential of vitamin D in normalizing cancer-related mesothelial cells. This is the first study of its kind, said Dr. Kazuhisa Kitami of the University of Nagoya. “ The most interesting thing is that, when early detection of ovarian cancer is extremely difficult, we have shown that the peritoneal environment can be restored to a normal state where it prevents cancer cells from adhering and metastasizing.
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- constipation
- flatulence
- pain in the lower abdomen,
- a feeling of fullness in the belly,
- general fatigue,
- weakness,
- loss of appetite
- bad mood
- pressure on the bladder,
- pain when urinating in combination with pain in the lower abdomen,
- feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen,
- vaginal bleeding.
A chance for more effective treatment of ovarian cancer
Scientists have already described the exact mechanism responsible for this action of the vitamin. Well, cancer cells produce the TGF-ß1 protein. It is associated with cell growth, but it also increases the production of another protein – thrombospondin-1. Its increased amounts are usually found in the later, more fatal stages of ovarian cancer. Meanwhile, thrombosondin is one of the main proteins that allows sick cells to stick to the peritoneum and form a metastasis. Vitamin D inhibits the production of thrombospondin caused by more TGF-ß1 protein.
Scientists suggest the therapeutic use of the vitamin.
– Administration of vitamin D helps to restore the peritoneal environment to a normal state. This suggests that combining vitamin D with conventional drugs may increase their therapeutic efficacy against ovarian cancer. We believe it helps to protect against cancer cells sticking to the peritoneum, which may help prevent the disease from returning, says Dr. Kitami.
At the same time, researchers note that their discovery could lead to the development of new therapies based on the described mechanisms.
Marek Matacz
Check if you suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Home Vitamin D Test Cassette Available HERE
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