title: The nutritional prevention of cancer: 400 mcg per day selenium treatment.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA. mary.reid@roswellpark.org
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Anna J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Duffield-Lillico
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Slate
authors.forename: Nachimuthu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Natarajan
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Combs
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Alberts
authors.forename: Larry C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D012643:Selenium