Vitamin D and PD-1 Inhibitors

A new study suggests that vitamin D supplementation may improve treatment outcomes in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The study titled “Vitamin D supplementation increases objective response rate and prolongs progression-free time in patient with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 therapy. The study included 200 patients with advanced melanoma who were receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy as first-line treatment. Vitamin D levels were measured in these patients both before and during treatment.

The study found that patients who had normal vitamin D levels at baseline or achieved normal levels with supplementation had a higher response rate and longer progression-free survival compared to those with low vitamin D levels who did not receive supplementation. Specifically, the response rate was 56.0% in the normal/supplemented group compared to 36.2% in the low vitamin D group, and progression-free survival was 11.25 months in the normal/supplemented group compared to 5.75 months in the low vitamin D group.

The authors of the study suggest that maintaining normal vitamin D levels during anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in advanced melanoma patients should be a standard procedure to improve treatment outcomes. However, it is important to note that further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial in other types of cancer or in combination with other therapies.

Clearly, this information is not new to our patients, as Vitamin D is one of our recommended supplements. However, add Vitamin D to microbiome supplements (Akkermansia, etc.) and natural Vitamin E as the foundation to help promote a better immune response when taking cancer immunotherapy, like Opdivo and Keytruda.

Vitamin D supplementation increases objective response rate and prolongs progression-free time in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD1 therapy – PubMed