vitamin d for prostate cancer

by Karen Haines

Researchers at Rochester’s Interlakes Foundation are exploring whether an investigational, high-dose vitamin D pill taken with a type of chemotherapy can improve the survival rates of patients with advanced prostate cancer and reduce some of the side effects caused by chemotherapy.

“This is a new and intriguing approach to treat very sick prostate cancer patients. Results from a previous Phase 2 clinical study showed that the active form of vitamin D, DN-101, appeared to improve survival while reducing some of the serious side effects of chemotherapy, an important finding that surprised many researchers and deserves further evaluation,” said Dr. James Fetten of The Interlakes Foundation. “The next phase of the study is designed to determine if this regimen can improve outcomes for patients with advanced prostate cancer.”

DN-101 administers much higher blood levels of the active form of vitamin D, a naturally-occurring hormone, than the levels the body can produce from dietary vitamin D or vitamin D supplements. Based on preclinical data, it is believed that in high doses, vitamin D may have the potential to work in combination with many commonly used chemotherapy drugs in a way that may produce anti-tumor activity. DN-101 is a new investigational drug for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) and has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Therefore it is being evaluated in a clinical study. This study will build on previous results by evaluating the potential benefits of this therapy to improve survival in AIPC patients, to reduce some of the toxicities associated with chemotherapy, including the occurrence of blood clots, fractures, nausea, and diarrhea, and to provide overall safety as compared to the currently approved regimen of Taxotere (a type of chemotherapy) and prednisone.

Prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably. If untreated and allowed to grow, the cells from the tumors can spread by a process called metastasis, in which the prostate cancer cells are transported through the lymphatic system and the bloodstream to other parts of the body, where they can reside and grow as secondary tumors. In most cases, prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer, which means it typically takes a number of years for the disease to become large enough to be detectable, and even longer to spread beyond the prostate. However, a small percentage of patients experience more rapidly growing, aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation forecasts that without new interventions, the number of deaths from prostate cancer in the United States will grow to approximately 68,000 annually by 2025. The Interlakes Foundation is one of approximately 200 medical centers in the United States and Canada seeking volunteers for this important clinical study. The study is for men who have been diagnosed with AIPC. Study medication will be provided to all qualified study participants at no cost. To learn more about the study, individuals are encouraged to call The Interlakes Foundation at (585) 350-2300 or visit www.ASCENT-2.com.