RECENT study suggests that vitamin D supplements may significantly extend the treatment-free survival period for patients with asymptomatic chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The results have shown that adults with CLL under active surveillance experienced a significantly longer treatment-free survival period when taking Vitamin D supplements.
Researchers, led by Tamar Tadmor of Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, examined the effects of vitamin D supplementation on time to first treatment and treatment-free survival among a cohort of 3,474 adults with asymptomatic CLL aged 65 years or less. The patients were under a watch-and-wait surveillance. Of the total number of participants, 931 (26.8%) received vitamin D supplements or its analogue for a least six months. Specifically, 845 patients received vitamin D supplements, 52 received a vitamin D analogue and 34 received both.
Results showed that patients who took vitamin D supplements had a median treatment-free survival time of 169 months vs 84 months in non-users, showing a statistically significant association (P=.004). For patients aged 65 years and younger, vitamin D supplementation was significantly associated with a longer time to first treatment (P=.038). However, this association did not reach statistical significance for patients older than 65 years.
The study had a median follow-up period of 1,745 days (range 603-3,700 days) from the beginning of the study until the first treatment or death. Researchers adjusted for immortal time bias and noted the positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on delaying the progression to treatment.
The study’s findings demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation is significantly associated with longer treatment-free survival in patients with CLL under active surveillance. These findings offer a potential new approach to managing CLL, emphasising the need for further clinical trials to confirm the benefits of vitamin D supplementation.
Reference
Tadmor T et al. Supplement of Vitamin D for early-stage Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients is Associated with a Longer Time to first Treatment. Blood Adv. 2024 [Epub ahead of print].
