--- title: Vitamin D May Boost Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer description: Researchers suggest adding vitamin D supplements to treatment canonical: https://time.com/16148/vitamin-d-may-double-chances-of-surviving-breast-cancer/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-03-07T19:52:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T06:39:15.945Z article:section: Health og:title: Vitamin D May Boost Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer og:description: Researchers suggest adding vitamin D supplements to treatment og:url: https://time.com/16148/vitamin-d-may-double-chances-of-surviving-breast-cancer/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt21fee5552dccf2f6/6986846fcd804dd324cc9a20/sb10063846ab-001.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: sb10063846ab-001 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vitamin D May Boost Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer twitter:description: Researchers suggest adding vitamin D supplements to treatment twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt21fee5552dccf2f6/6986846fcd804dd324cc9a20/sb10063846ab-001.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Vitamin D May Double Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Mar 7, 2014 7:52 PM UTC  Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon against white background Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon against white backgroundChad Baker—Getty Images  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Mar 7, 2014 7:52 PM UTC Vitamin D may be saving women with breast cancer. In a new study published in _Anticancer Research_, researchers found that breast cancer patients that had high levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to survive than women with low levels. They reviewed five studies that observed more than 4,440 women with breast cancer. “The study has implications for including vitamin D as an adjuvant to conventional breast cancer therapy,” study co-author Dr. Heather Hofflich, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego, said in a [press release](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2014-03/uoc--vdi030614.php). The researchers recommend that vitamin D should be added to the various treatments given to women fighting breast cancer. The body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but milk, fatty fish and other foods can also boost production. Patients could also take vitamin D supplements. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/16148/vitamin-d-may-double-chances-of-surviving-breast-cancer/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/16148/vitamin-d-may-double-chances-of-surviving-breast-cancer/"},"headline":"Vitamin D May Double Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer","datePublished":"2014-03-07T19:52:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:39:15.945Z","description":"In a new study, researchers found that breast-cancer patients who had high levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to survive than women with low levels. 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