研究顯示 高量維生素D可能增加女性乳腺癌存活率

Women with high vitamin D levels in their blood following a breast cancer diagnosis are more likely to survive the disease, a new study said last Thursday.

據上週四公佈的一項最新研究顯示，患乳腺癌的女性如果血液中維生素D的含量較高，那麼她的存活率將會更大。

While the mechanisms for how vitamin D influences breast cancer outcomes are not well understood, researchers believed it may be related to its role in promoting normal mammary-cell development, and inhibiting the reproduction of and promoting the death of cancer cells.

儘管維生素D如何影響乳腺癌的機制還沒有被很好地理解，但是研究人員認爲這也許和維生素D在促進正常乳腺細胞發育、抑制癌細胞產生，以及促進癌細胞死亡過程中的作用有關。

The current study, published by the US journal JAMA Oncology, included 1,666 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2006 and 2013.

目前這份研究被刊載在美國雜誌《JAMA腫瘤學》上，研究的對象包括在2006年到2013年之間確診患有乳腺癌的1666名女性。

These participants provided blood samples within two months of diagnosis and answered questions about diet, lifestyle and other risk factors, with follow-ups at six months and at two, four, six and eight years.

這些參與者提供了確診患病後2個月內的血液樣本，並且回答了有關飲食、生活習慣、以及其他風險因素等問題，後續訪問的時間分別是6個月、2年、4年、6年、8年之後。

Vitamin D is a nutrient best known for its role in maintaining healthy bones, and vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the risk for several cancers.

維生素D是一種營養物質，最爲人所知的作用就是保持骨骼的健康，而缺乏維生素D已經被證實會加大患有某些癌症的風險。

Common sources of vitamin D include sun exposure, fatty fish oils, vitamin supplements, and fortified milks and cereals.

維生素D的常見來源包括曬太陽、魚油、維生素藥物以及強化牛奶和穀物。

"We found that women with the highest levels of vitamin D levels had about a 30 percent better likelihood of survival than women with the lowest levels of vitamin D,"senior author Lawrence Kushi at the Kaiser Permanent Northern California Division of Research, said in a statement.

“凱撒永久”財團北加州研究分支機構的資深作家勞倫斯·庫什在一份聲明中說道：“我們發現，相比於那些體內維生素D含量最低的女性來說，體內維生素含量最高的女性的存活率要高30%。”

Although the study did not examine the effects of vitamin D intake from foods versus supplements, Kushi noted that it supports the recommended daily levels of vitamin D -- 600 international units for those one to 70 years old and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and 800 international units for those over 71 years old.

雖然這份研究沒有對從食物和維生素藥物中攝取維生素D這兩種方式的影響進行比較，但是庫什指出了研究支持的維生素每日推薦攝取水平--不到70歲的女性、孕婦、以及哺乳期的女性每日600國際單位；71歲以上的女性每日攝取800國際單位的維生素D。

"The more we know about vitamin D, the more we understand that it may play a key role in cancer prevention and prognosis," Kushi said. "This study adds to the evidence that vitamin D is an important nutrient."

庫什說道：“我們對維生素D瞭解得越多，我們就越能理解維生素D也許在癌症預防和治療中起着十分關鍵的作用。這份研究進一步證明了維生素D是一種非常重要的營養物質。”