Suplementação de vitamina D em pacientes oncológicos em cuidados paliativos: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Objectives: to assess if there are any benefits in vitamin D supplementation for cancer patients in palliative care. Methods: an integrative review was carried out through a systematic selection process of the articles in the LILACS, COCHRANE and PUBMED databases. The data collection phase took place between July and November 2020, and the articles published in Portuguese, English and Spanish between 2000 and 2020 were included, with abstracts available in the selected computerized databases and full text available at internet or provided by the original source. As exclusion criteria, the following were defined: works that did not refer to the proposed theme; editorials and letters to the editor; point of view; biography; theses and dissertations. The following search terms were defined: vitamin D, supplementation, palliative care and cancer. Results: the sample consisted of 10 scientific articles. It was observed that, generally, vitamin D supplementation can have positive effects on quality of life, infections, pain and use of opioids. It was also found that it is a very safe therapy, with a low incidence of adverse effects. Conclusion: vitamin D supplementation can be considered a safe complementary therapy that can bring important benefits to these patients. Hypovitaminosis D is quite common and can lead to a worsening of the quality of life and comfort of cancer patients in palliative care.