The leader of the study, Doctor Pamela Goodwin of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, said that this is the first time when the disease’s progression has been linked to vitamin D, after observing that only 24% of the women had normal levels of vitamin D at the time of their given diagnosis.

The study involved the carefull observation of 512 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1989 and 1995. All participants gave blood samples and also filled out a questionnaire on their diet. They were kept under observation for a time-period of 12 years.

Even though many specialists, including Dr. Joanne Mortimer, a breast cancer specialist at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, think of the results as very provocative and positive, they all agree that it is too soon to start recommending the vitamin as a general treatment for breast cancer, as many more tests are still needed.

Over the years, vitamin D has been linked to a large number of different treatments for a wide variety of diseases, amongst which diabetes, muscle pain, depression, heart diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and strokes.

Specialists suggested that women willing to try the vitamin D approach to their treatment must first have their vitamin D levels checked to make sure that the amount is within the recommended proportions.