Higher blood levels of vitamin E are associated with a 19% reduction in the incidence of lung cancer in male smokers.
This finding, which is based on the prospective measurement of -tocopherol, the
predominant form of vitamin E, is presented in the October 20 issue of the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute by Karen Woodson, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute, and
colleagues.
-Tocopherol is thought to inhibit the development of cancer in part through its
ability to neutralize free radicals that both initiate and promote tumor development.
The men were participating in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention
(ATBC) Study, a randomized trial involving men in Finland. When the men entered the study,
which involved supplementation with -tocopherol, ß-carotene, both, or neither, baseline
determinations of
-tocopherol in serum were made, and
-tocopherol values were
available for 29,102 participants. In addition, the men provided data regarding medical histories,
smoking, and dietary intake of various foods. Among the 29,102 men, 1144 developed lung
cancer during a median follow-up of 7.7 years.
The authors speculated that -tocopherol blood levels of the men when they entered the
study might be predictive of subsequent lung cancer development. (The ATBC Study itself did
not provide evidence of lung cancer prevention from
-tocopherol supplementation
[50 mg per day] over a 5- to 8-year period, although longer supplementation did
suggest some benefit.) Adjusted serum -tocopherol at time of study entry ranged from 1.4 to
110.6 mg/L, with a median value of 11.6 mg/L. These levels were correlated with dietary
-tocopherol intake but not with years or amount of smoking, alcohol consumption, or other
factors.
When men were grouped into five categories of -tocopherol concentration, those in the
group having the highest level of
-tocopherol had a 19% lower risk of lung cancer
than men with the lowest
-tocopherol levels. There was a stronger inverse relationship
between
-tocopherol level and risk of lung cancer among men under 60 years of age and
among men with less cumulative tobacco exposure.
Contact: NCI Press Office, (301) 496-6641. (Note: The media contact for this paper is the NCI Press Office because the author is on the NCI staff.)
Note: This memo to reporters is from the Journal staff and is not an official release of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) or Oxford University Press (OUP) nor does it reflect NCI or OUP policy. In addition, unless otherwise stated, all articles and items published in the Journal reflect the individual views of the authors and not necessarily the official points of view held by NCI, any other component of the U.S. government, OUP, or the organizations with which the authors are affiliated. Neither NCI nor any other component of the U.S. government nor OUP assumes any responsibility for the completeness of the articles or other items or the accuracy of the conclusions reached therein.
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