Plasma selenium concentration and prostate cancer risk: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
BACKGROUND
Some evidence indicates that a low selenium intake may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the association of plasma selenium concentration with subsequent prostate cancer risk and to examine this association by stage and grade of disease and other factors.


METHODS
A nested case-control study was performed among men in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). The association between plasma selenium concentration and prostate cancer risk was assessed in 959 men with incident prostate cancer and 1059 matched controls.


RESULTS
Overall, plasma selenium concentration was not associated with prostate cancer risk; the multivariate relative risk for men in the highest fifth of selenium concentration compared with the lowest fifth was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.70, 1.31; P for trend = 0.25). There were no significant differences in the association of plasma selenium with risk when analyzed by stage or grade of disease. Similarly, the association of selenium with risk did not differ by smoking status or by plasma alpha- or gamma-tocopherol concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma selenium concentration was not associated with prostate cancer risk in this large cohort of European men.
Allen
Naomi E
NE
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. naomi.allen@ceu.ox.ac.uk
Appleby
Paul N
PN
Roddam
Andrew W
AW
Tjønneland
Anne
A
Johnsen
Nina Føns
NF
Overvad
Kim
K
Boeing
Heiner
H
Weikert
Steffen
S
Kaaks
Rudolf
R
Linseisen
Jakob
J
Trichopoulou
Antonia
A
Misirli
Gesthimani
G
Trichopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Sacerdote
Carlotta
C
Grioni
Sara
S
Palli
Domenico
D
Tumino
Rosario
R
Bueno-de-Mesquita
H Bas
HB
Kiemeney
Lambertus A
LA
Barricarte
Aurelio
A
Larrañaga
Nerea
N
Sánchez
Maria-José
MJ
Agudo
Antonio
A
Tormo
María-José
MJ
Rodriguez
Laudina
L
Stattin
Pär
P
Hallmans
Göran
G
Bingham
Sheila
S
Khaw
Kay-Tee
KT
Slimani
Nadia
N
Rinaldi
Sabina
S
Boffetta
Paolo
P
Riboli
Elio
E
Key
Timothy J
TJ
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D012643:Selenium