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Vitamin D and Skin Cancer: An Epidemiological, Patient-Centered Update and Review
Alejandro Martin-Gorgojo1, Yolanda Gilaberte2, Eduardo Nagore3
1STI/Dermatology Department, Madrid City Council, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Background:
The current vitamin D deficiency epidemic is accompanied by an increase in endemic skin cancer. There are still multiple controversies. This review aims to give practical recommendations regarding vitamin D among people at risk or with a personal history of skin cancer.
Methods:
Narrative review including human research articles published between 2011 and 2021, elaborated bearing in mind an epidemiological, patient-centered approach.
Results:
Ultraviolet (UV) exposure (neither artificial nor natural) is not the ideal source to synthesize vitamin D. There is conflicting epidemiological evidence regarding vitamin D, non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and cutaneous melanoma (CMM), confounded by the effect of sun exposure and other factors.
Conclusions:
Current evidence is controversial, and there are no widely applicable strategies. We propose three practical recommendations. Firstly, sun protection recommendations should be kept among people at risk or with a personal history of skin cancer. Secondly, vitamin D should preferably be sourced through diet. In patients with melanoma or at risk of cutaneous cancer, serum vitamin D checks are warranted to detect and avoid its insufficiency.
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