Vitamin D Deficiency and its Relation with Cancer in Children

Vitamin D deficiency is known as the most common nutritional deficiency. It is created during infancy due to different factors, including decreased dietary intake, decreased dermal synthesis, malabsorption, enzyme-inducing medications, and exclusive breastfeeding. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor bone health such as rickets and osteomalacia in children. Despite vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, its role in pediatric cancer is not detected and remained unknown; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of vitamin D deficiency and its relation with cancer in children. Vitamin D in cancer children has been considered as a contributory factor for skeletal pathologies. Children with cancer may be at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency due to side effects which are induced by the disease and multiple treatments, given that chemotherapy and clinical radiation play a main role in decreased bone mineral density. Therefore, possible role of vitamin D deficiency in cancer pathogenesis and progression is well defined. It seems that these patients should be taken sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D during chemotherapy and afterward.