Considerations

• According to a May 2009 Moores Cancer Center study, vitamin D deficiency plays a role in ovarian cancer development.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Ovarian cancer is generally treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy. Vitamin D is not a widely accepted treatment, but according to John Jacob Cannell, MD, Director of the Vitamin D Council, all of the research suggests that ovarian cancer patients will live longer if they take vitamin D.
  
  

Benefits

• To maximize any potential benefits of vitamin D to ovarian cancer patients, Cannell recommends taking at least 5,000 IU per day.
  
  

Potential

• According to Yingyu Ma, MD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, vitamin D can be used to slow the growth of ovarian cancer cells and is especially effective when used in tandem with chemotherapy.
  
  

Significance

• Approximately 22,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year.