Calcium Plus Vitamin D May Reduce Melanoma Risks in Some Women

A combination of calcium and vitamin D may cut the ability of melanoma in half for a few women at high risk of developing this life-frightening skin cancer, according to a new study by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

Using existing data from a big clinical trial, the study zeroed in on women with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer, as people with this normally non-fatal disease are more likely to develop the more lethal illness — melanoma. The researchers establish that women who once had non-melanoma and took the calcium-vitamin D combination developed 57 percent less melanomas than women with similar histories who were not known the supplements. Non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell or squamous cell cancers are the most ordinary forms of skin cancer.

“In preventive medicine, we want to goal people most at risk for the disease,” said dermatologist Jean Tang, MD, PhD, direct author of the study. “If you previously had a non-melanoma skin cancer, calcium plus vitamin D might decrease your risk of the more deadly melanoma.”