05/30/2026
Vitamin D has many important parts in our health and is an important part of keeping hormones balanced.
The lie I taught in medical school: vitamin D is mostly about calcium and bones.
New in Nature Cancer (Dana-Farber + Salk): 36 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer got standard chemo plus placebo or paricalcitol, a vitamin D receptor activator.
- Partial response: 42% on paricalcitol vs 9% placebo (10 of 24 vs 1 of 12).
- Progression-free at one year: 5 vs 0.
- Patients with high tumor VDR levels had the longest survival.
Honest caveat: small early trial (n=36) designed for safety. Response signals are secondary, not definitive. Larger replication needed.
Mechanism: VDR activation reshaped the tumor microenvironment — calming fibroblasts, increasing T cell infiltration.
The bigger point: vitamin D is a metabolic and immune signaling hormone, not just a bone vitamin. Receptors live in nearly every tissue.
Full breakdown coming on the Health Longevity Secrets podcast https://www.youtube.com/
Source: https://www.dana-farber.org/newsroom/news-releases/2026/from-discovery-to-patient-care-vitamin-d-analog-shuts-down-pancreatic-cancers-shield-in-clinical-trial
