The nutritional prevention of cancer: 400 mcg per day selenium treatment.
Nonexperimental studies suggest that individuals with higher selenium (Se) status are at decreased risk of cancer. The Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) study randomized 1,312 high-risk dermatology patients to 200-mcg/day of Se in selenized yeast or a matched placebo; selenium supplementation decreased the risk of lung, colon, prostate, and total cancers but increased the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer. In this article, we report on a small substudy in Macon, GA, which began in 1989 and randomized 424 patients to 400-mcg/day of Se or to matched placebo. The subjects from both arms had similar baseline Se levels to those treated by 200 mcg, and those treated with 400-mcg attained plasma Se levels much higher than subjects treated with 200 mcg. The 200-mcg/day Se treatment decreased total cancer incidence by a statistically significant 25%; however, 400-mcg/day of Se had no effect on total cancer incidence.
Reid
Mary E
ME
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA. mary.reid@roswellpark.org
Duffield-Lillico
Anna J
AJ
Slate
Elizabeth
E
Natarajan
Nachimuthu
N
Turnbull
Bruce
B
Jacobs
Elizabeth
E
Combs
Gerald F
GF
Alberts
David S
DS
Clark
Larry C
LC
Marshall
James R
JR
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D012643:Selenium