Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hypovitaminosis D is associated with oncogenesis, and the initial level of Vitamin D may play a role in determining long-term prognosis, relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). The purpose of our study was to follow up pediatric cancer patients for a long time in terms of their baseline Vitamin D level and disease outcomes. METHODS: We collected data on the initial 25(OH)D concentration in 117 children and examined their RFS and OS using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The initial 25(OH)D mean value in the relapsed group was 20.35 ng/mL (SE: 2.05) and in children without relapse it was 26.14 ng/mL (SE: 1.13). Both the relapse-free and overall Kaplan-Meier curves showed a tendency for children with lower serum Vitamin D concentrations to experience cancer recurrence or fatal outcomes sooner than patients with normal serum levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated a possible correlation between higher pretreatment serum Vitamin D concentrations and improved overall and relapse-free survival.