Cutaneous malignant melanoma (skin cancer) is the most common lethal skin disease worldwide. Although it only accounts for 4% of all malignant tumours of the skin, it is responsible for 80% of the skin cancer-related deaths.  

There is a high need to improve the outcome of malignant melanoma, which could be achieved by diagnosing the tumour in an earlier stage, and by decreasing the chance of relapse after surgery.

This publication reports the results of a sub-study of the ViDME trial (The ViDME trial investigates the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on skin cancer outcome). In the trial, the determinants of Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) levels in patients with cutaneous melanoma were studied.  

Results showed that following factors had a significant effect on vitamin D status: body mass index, seasonal time of blood sampling, vitamin D supplementation, and a subtype of skin and hair colour. It remains unknown whether these associations are causative, whether they merely come from a bystander effect (i.e. due to a not yet defined underlying condition leading to low Vitamin D levels), or if the effects are simply caused by an association with common lifestyle factors.

The ongoing VidME study further investigates whether vitamin D3 supplementation after surgery has a beneficial effect on melanoma outcome, and could therefore possibly be used as adjuvant therapy in patients with cutaneous melanoma.