Vitamin E supplementation increases the risk of prostate cancer

January 01, 0001

Vitamin E supplementation increases the risk of prostate cancer

The initial data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) identified a statistically insignificant increase in prostate cancer risk with vitamin E supplementation. This group of US, Canada and UK researchers examined the long term effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation of prostate cancer risk. They enrolled healthy men (n=35 533) from hundreds of sites in North America. They were randomized to 4 treatment groups: 8752 received selenium supplementation, 8737 recieved vitamin E supplementation, 8702 received both, and 8696 received placebo.

The researchers found: "This report includes 54 464 additional person- years of follow-up and 521 additional cases of prostate cancer since the primary report. Compared with the placebo (referent group) in which 529 men developed prostate cancer, 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer (hazard ratio {HR}, 1.17), as did 575 in the selenium group (HR, 1.09), and 555 in the selenium plus vitamin E group (HR, 1.05). Compared with placebo, the absolute increase in risk of prostate cancer per 1000 person- years was 1.6 for vitamin E, 0.8 for selenium, and 0.4 for the combination."

The researchers concluded: "Dietary supplementation with vitamin E significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer among healthy men."

This study finds good evidence of an increased risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E supplementation

For the full abstract, click here.

JAMA 306(14):1549-1556, 12 October 2011 © 2011 American Medical Association
Vitamin E and the Risk of Prostate Cancer. John J. Crowley, M. Scott Lucia, Phyllis J. Goodman, et al.

Category: Y. Male Genital System. Keywords: vitamin E, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, selenium, prostate, cancer, randomized controlled trial, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 25 October 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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