title: Updates on clinical studies of selenium supplementation in radiotherapy.
abstract: To establish guidelines for the selenium supplementation in radiotherapy we assessed the benefits and risks of selenium supplementation in radiotherapy. Clinical studies on the use of selenium in radiotherapy were searched in the PubMed electronic database in January 2013. Sixteen clinical studies were identified among the 167 articles selected in the initial search. Ten articles were observational studies, and the other 6 articles reported studies on the effects of selenium supplementation in patients with cancer who underwent radiotherapy. The studies were conducted worldwide including European, American and Asian countries between 1987 and 2012. Plasma, serum or whole blood selenium levels were common parameters used to assess the effects of radiotherapy and the selenium supplementation status. Selenium supplementation improved the general conditions of the patients, improved their quality of life and reduced the side effects of radiotherapy. At the dose of selenium used in these studies (200-500 μg/day), selenium supplementation did not reduce the effectiveness of radiotherapy, and no toxicities were reported. Selenium supplementation may offer specific benefits for several types of cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy. Because high-dose selenium and long-term supplementation may be unsafe due to selenium toxicity, more evidence-based information and additional research are needed to ensure the therapeutic benefits of selenium supplementation.
authors.forename: Irma M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Puspitasari
authors.forename: Rizky
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdulah
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kameo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa Machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan. hkoyama@health.gunma-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012643:Selenium / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D012643:Selenium