Summary
Vitamin D has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Vitamin D to Cancer: 1 is currently recruiting; 4 have completed; 3 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT03469271). The largest enrolment is 295 participants (NCT04630522). Registration activity spans 1999 to 2024. The literature layer holds 15 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 2 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review, 2 randomised controlled trial publications and 5 clinical trial publications. The dated items are from 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Cancer ranks 1226 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous regression is rare (<0.5% of cases); 5-year survival without treatment: <5% for advanced NSCLC; ~20% for stage I-II with surgery.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 55.0 (trials 20.0, literature 30.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 8 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 4 completed, 3 other |
| Linked publications | 15 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 2 meta-analyses, 2 randomised controlled trial publications, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Supplement |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Cancer metabolism as a therapeutic target and review of interventions · Halma M, Tuszynski JA · 2023 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03469271 | Maintain Respiratory Muscle Function and Reduce Pneumonia Risk in Cancer Patients 2018 | completed | Phase 4 | 63 |
| NCT00321932 | Zoledronic Acid in Preventing Osteoporosis in Patients Undergoing Donor Stem Cell Transplant 2005 | completed | Phase 2 | 61 |
| NCT00084864 | Calcitriol and Dexamethasone Before Radical Prostatectomy in Treating Patients With Localized Adenocarcinoma (Cancer) of the Prostate 2002 | terminated | Phase 2 | 25 |
| NCT04630522 | Efficacy and Safety of JMT103 in Patients With Bone Metastases From Solid Tumors 2020 | completed | Phase 1 | 295 |
| NCT00004928 | Calcitriol and Zoledronate in Treating Patients With Progressive Prostate Cancer 1999 | completed | Phase 1 | — |
| NCT02936999 | Vitamin D Supplementation in Women With DCIS and/or LCIS 2016 | terminated | Early Phase 1 | 8 |
| NCT06642428 | Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Neoadjuvant Therapy in Patients with Breast Cancer 2024 | recruiting | Not applicable | 140 |
| NCT02681601 | Nutrition Support to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer 2016 | terminated | Not applicable | 2 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication A phase II clinical trial of albumin-bound paclitaxel, cisplatin, gemcitabine (NABPLAGEM), and paricalcitol as neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancerViniotis AF, Jameson GS, Wertheim BC et al. · The oncologist · 2026 · PMID 42268676
- Clinical trial publication Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel with or without the VDR agonist paricalcitol for metastatic pancreatic cancer: a randomized, multiarm, run-in phase trialPerez KJ, Dias Costa A, Jordan A et al. · Nature cancer · 2026 · PMID 42185478
- Clinical trial publication Effects of acupuncture on improving hormonal and metabolic biochemical characteristics in polycystic ovary syndromeShao C, Li W, Liang J · African journal of reproductive health · 2026 · PMID 41841598
- Clinical trial publication Vitamin D supplementation before in vitro fertilisation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: multicentre, double blind, placebo controlled, randomised clinical trialHu KL, Liao T, Wu Q et al. · BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2026 · PMID 41702641
- Clinical trial publication Early termination of NCT04617067, a phase II, open label, clinical trial of oral paricalcitol in combination with gemcitabine and NAB-paclitaxel therapy in advanced pancreatic cancerEasty D, McDermott R, Murphy AG et al. · BMC cancer · 2026 · PMID 41535788
- Cochrane review Association Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Insulin Resistance in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisGuo Q, Du R, Guo C et al. · The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2026 · PMID 42387943
- Cochrane review Serum vitamin D levels in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysisJiang M, Wang T, Huang L · Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026 · PMID 42381874
- Cochrane review Circulating vitamin D status and prognosis in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis with exploratory evidence on vitamin D receptor polymorphismsThet D, Areepium N, Rungruang C et al. · BMC cancer · 2026 · PMID 41987077
- Cochrane review Effectiveness and safety of bone protective interventions to mitigate bone loss and skeletal fractures experienced by patients with non-metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysisQuinn MJ, Williams B, Crotti TN et al. · Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026 · PMID 41697310
- Cochrane review A network meta-analysis of interventions for anxiety and depression in PCOSTan Z, Li Y, Liu J et al. · PeerJ · 2026 · PMID 41664652
- Meta-analysis Risk factors of ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Mendelian randomiation studiesYalew M, Lumsden AL, Mulugeta A et al. · Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2026 · PMID 42127414
- Meta-analysis A Lack of Association between Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Colorectal Cancer: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and Power AssessmentAnilkumar AS, Thomas SM, Veerabathiran R · Critical reviews in eukaryotic gene expression · 2026 · PMID 41824933
- Randomized controlled trial Effect Modification by Serum Vitamin A Levels on the Association between Vitamin D and Relapse or Death in Patients with Digestive Tract CancerKohmura T, Ohdaira H, Suzuki Y et al. · Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026 · PMID 41524587
- Randomized controlled trial Effects of personalized vitamin D(3) on inflammation in colorectal cancer patients: a randomized trialGwenzi T, Weber ANR, Trares K et al. · British journal of cancer · 2026 · PMID 41507560
- Systematic review The Association Between Vitamin D and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in Women: A Systematic ReviewJaafar B, Chami N, Tlais M et al. · Nutrients · 2026 · PMID 41901143
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Cancer metabolism as a therapeutic target and review of interventions · Halma M, Tuszynski JA · 2023.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vitamin D approved for Cancer?
Vitamin D has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Cancer. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Vitamin D in clinical trials for Cancer?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Vitamin D to Cancer: 1 is currently recruiting; 4 have completed; 3 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT03469271). The largest enrolment is 295 participants (NCT04630522). Registration activity spans 1999 to 2024.
What does the evidence show for Vitamin D in Cancer?
Vitamin D has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Cancer. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.