Vitamin D deficiency and recurrence?

[Mayski]

Hi all

It's been a while since I posted on here, and it is with a heavy heart that I return :(. I wondered if any of you could give me words of advice or let me know what your experiences were....

My mum was diagnosed with ovarian carcinosarcoma almost two years ago. She's had 10 rounds of chemo and the surgery and got it all removed and has since been doing incredibly well. She's feeling better and looking better and is much happier.

Her three month blood tests and scans have been great, although she refused her last PET scan so she hasn't been scanned for 6 months. Her most recent blood and urine test results show her tumour marker levels are still well below 35, but that she's mildly aneamic (which I guess is normal) and that she's very deficient in vitamin D. Her oncologist said the vitamin D deficiency may be a sign of breast cancer, so she's now doing a PET scan next week, but he's also sending her to a kidney specialist.

I'm just so confused. I thought vitamin D was the sunshine vitamin and that the majority of the population are deficient! What does it have to do with breast cancer? What are the chances that she now has breast cancer? If she has breast cancer, how bad is it in terms of prognosis, since its recurring? And what do breast cancer, vitamin D, and kidneys even have in common?

She's closed off completely and is refusing to talk to me, which is why I'm turning to you with these questions and not her or her doctor (who I've tried to call consistently since but am unable to reach). I refuse to Google anything after the scare I gave myself immediately after her diagnosis, so any clarification and words of advice would be immensely appreciated.

Thank you all so much, and god bless you all.

Mayski xx

[naomi88]

We were advised to get vit D for OC, I think it is needed for any Cancer, it is not particular to any one more than another. Vit D contributes to the control of cell multiplication. A lack of it is bad news for any cancer. Vit A contributes to the correct copy of DNA so vit A deficiency is as bad as vit D deficiency. Best to take the vit D from the sun , but in winter and spring may help to take extra supplement.

The kidney may be another issue separately from vit D or breast cancer. Some time scans contrast dyes may cause kidney problems. There is a product - N-acetyl-cysteine, that is given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during X-rays studies (from drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/19...

Hope that this help you to put your worries at rest.

[Whippit]

Dear Mayski, What an awful situation to be going through worrying about your Mum and then feeling excluded from any discussions on tests and treatments for possible cancer.

Sometimes I think we have to tackle one obstacle at a time and I would imagine the first thing you would want to do is get back on an even keel with your mum. That might mean for the time being giving her time to adjust to whatever news she's had, and doing your best to give her space and leave her talk about theses things in her own time.

It must be so hard when this happens but look after your friendship with your mum first. For now there are professionals who will be looking after any medical problems.

I wonder if this makes sense to you. I hope it helps to know it happens to others even when they have loving family relationships. I have seen just the same thing happen in my own family when my sister cut off everyone from her latest discussions with the oncologist. She had her own reasons for doing so and in time she felt able to share her thoughts and feelings with family members. I'm sure it will turn out the same for you.

Sending hugs. xx Annie