High-Dose Vitamin D Provides Rapid Relief for Radiation-, Chemo-Induced Skin Conditions

WEDNESDAY, July 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with toxic erythema of chemotherapy (TEC) and acute radiation dermatitis (ARD), high-dose oral vitamin D (hdVD) is associated with rapid subjective symptom relief, according to a study published online July 15 in JAMA Dermatology.Mihir K. Patil, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and colleagues examined the clinical response, safety profile, and time to improvement for hdVD in patients with TEC and ARD in a retrospective multicenter case series involving 33 patients treated across three medical centers. Eligible participants received hdVD (100,000 international units of cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol) for TEC or ARD (28 and five patients, respectively) with at least 10 days of follow-up.The researchers found that 87 percent of patients reported subjective symptom relief within 10 days of treatment. The median time to improvement was five and three days overall and for the inpatient subgroup, respectively. From baseline to day 10, there was a decrease in the mean Likert erythema score from 4.36 to 2.21. The most rapid responses were seen for patients with neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis-like subtypes. There were no meaningful changes seen in serum calcium levels; 73 percent of the patients continued anticancer therapy without interruption. During the study, there were no treatment-related adverse events."As cancer treatments grow increasingly complex, incorporating hdVD into supportive care protocols may minimize treatment interruptions, mitigate cutaneous toxic effects, and improve patient outcomes," the authors write.One author disclosed ties to Synox Therapeutics; a second author disclosed ties to the publishing industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

High-Dose Vitamin D Provides Rapid Relief for Radiation-, Chemo-Induced Skin Conditions

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