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SELECT: Vitamin E associated with increased risk for prostate cancer
Klein EA. JAMA. 2011;3061:1549-1556.
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Follow-up results from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial show that men who took vitamin E supplements were at a significantly increased risk for prostate cancer compared with men assigned to placebo.
Previous studies had shown that the combination of selenium and vitamin E did not protect against prostate cancer, and initial results from SELECT published in December 2008 showed a nonsignificant increase in prostate cancer risk. These new results show that vitamin E is associated with a 17% increased risk at 7 years.
From August 2001 to June 2004, men at 427 study sites in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico were randomly assigned to selenium alone (n=8,752), vitamin E alone (n=8,737), a combination (n=8,702) or placebo (n=8,696). Eligible men had a PSA score of 4 ng/mL or less, a negative digital rectal examination and age 50 years or older for black men and 55 years or older for all others.
This new analysis includes data as of July 2011.
Researchers have diagnosed 521 additional prostate cancers since 2008, and the rate of prostate cancer detection was greater in all treatment groups compared with placebo. However, the increase was statistically significant only in the vitamin E alone group (HR=1.17; 99% CI, 1.004-1.36). The elevated risk estimate was consistent across both low- and high-grade disease.
Researchers found no statistically significant increased risk when selenium and vitamin E were taken in combination.
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