Would it kill doctors to test BC patients for vitamin D deficiency, and give supplements to those who are deficient? Considering many BC treatments lead to osteoporosis and bone health could help prevent metastasis to bone, there are plenty of good reasons to make sure D levels are within the healthy range. And it's not that hard to avoid toxicity if you test every 6 months or so, and you don't megadose! Not to mention vitamin D toxicity is rare and the negative effects of deficiency are very common. Seems like the benefits far outweigh the risks.

I live in Florida, and you would think, down here, we would not be deficient in vitamin D,, but we are! I know many people, including myself, in that position. And sun exposure doesn't seem to be getting our levels where they need to be. My mail lady was just diagnosed with BC,,and she is low in Vitamin D,,, she is outside delivering mail all day long,, wear sunglasses, but no sunscreen or hat,,, so go figure.

I took 1000 IU of vitamin D3 for several years before my cancer diagnosis. When my oncologist tested it, it was 36 which falls in normal ranges, but isn't considered ideal by some in the cancer community. It wasn't until I started taking 2000 IU daily that my lab results came back at 50 after six months. I feel comfortable staying at that dosage

I had my level checked in the summer time when I was outside gardening a lot and it was only 27. I started taking 1000 a day and by Dec. it had dropped to 24. Then I switched to drops and upped my dosage to 4000 a day. Last Dec when I had it checked it was up to 36 so I upped my dose to 6000 a day. I'm aiming to get above 40. I guess I just don't process Vit D very well. My local clinic is checking almost everyone for Vit D levels now with their yearly exams. I had to request it be done but they were fine with it.

when I was in pharmacy school, we were taught about the toxicity potential of fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin A can really be a problem with higher doses, but I've seen people on Vitamin D 5000 to 10,000 IU daily trying to get the blood level up to "normal". Seems to me that getting a blood level of D should be part of your annual checkup.

I take 5000 IU a day to stay in normal range.

When I was first diagnosed and researching bc like crazy, I learned about the importance of vitamin D. So I asked that my vitamin D level be checked, and it was deficient. So I started taking a supplement right away. The surgeon and radiation onc were just going to let me wait several months through surgeries and radiation, until I finally got to the medical oncologist! When I got there he was kind of territorial about it, asking, "Who ordered the vitamin D test?" My current onc, like lisa's, says that many people can't get what they need from sun exposure. In her experience, most people need 2000 iu per day to keep the levels good.