Vitamin D Status in Pediatric Oncology Patients in Lebanon: A Comparison With Non-oncology Controls in a Case-Control Study.
In an unmatched Lebanese case-control study of 268 children, vitamin D deficiency was substantially more prevalent among 67 pediatric oncology patients than among 201 non-oncology controls, and older oncology patients had lower vitamin D levels.
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In an unmatched Lebanese case-control study of 268 children, vitamin D deficiency was substantially more prevalent among 67 pediatric oncology patients than among 201 non-oncology controls, and older oncology patients had lower vitamin D levels.
Research significance
The study provides evidence that hypovitaminosis D is common in this pediatric oncology population; it supports investigating screening and supplementation as supportive-care strategies, but it does not establish that supplementation is safe, corrects clinically relevant outcomes, or improves cancer treatment outcomes.
Source abstract
Background and objective Children diagnosed with cancer are more likely to have vitamin D problems due to compromised health before diagnosis, the disease itself, and cancer treatments. Previous studies, although limited in scope, have shown an elevated prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pediatric oncology patients. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among children with cancer in Lebanon. Design and methods This was an unmatched case-control study comparing vitamin D levels among children living in Lebanon diagnosed with cancer (cases) with those of children without cancer (controls) in Lebanon. Serum vitamin D levels were determined for both cases and controls. Patients were classified according to the Endocrine Society recommendations: deficiency (25(OH)D ≤ 20 ng/mL), insufficiency (25(OH)D 21-29 ng/mL), and normal levels (25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL). Vitamin D status was evaluated by categorizing patients into two groups: hypovitaminosis D, defined as 25(OH)D levels < 30 ng/mL, and normal levels, defined as 25(OH)D levels ≥ 30 ng/mL. Results This unmatched case-control study included a total of 268 patients, with 67 oncology pediatric patients (cases) and 201 participants who were non-oncology pediatric patients (controls). The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency among children with cancer was 11 (16.45%) and 54 (80.6%), respectively. In contrast, among non-oncology patients, 103 (51.2%) showed vitamin D insufficiency, and 57 (28.4%) had vitamin D deficiency. There was a significant association between having cancer and vitamin D hypovitaminosis. Age was significantly associated with vitamin D levels among children with cancer, with older children having lower vitamin D levels. Conclusion Among children diagnosed with cancer, a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is observed, underscoring the significance of early detection and supplementation in this specific population.