BACKGROUND: Higher blood levels of alpha-tocopherol, the predominant form of vitamin E, have been associated in some studies with a reduced risk of lung cancer, but other studies have yielded conflicting results. To clarify this association, we examined the relationship between prospectively collected serum alpha-tocopherol and lung cancer in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study cohort. METHODS: The ATBC Study was a randomized, clinical trial of 29 133 white male smokers from Finland who were 50-69 years old and who had receivedalpha-tocopherol (50 mg), beta-carotene (20 mg), both, or neither daily for 5-8 years. Data regarding medical histories, smoking, and dietary factors were obtained at study entry, as was a serum specimen for baseline alpha-tocopherol determination. alpha-Tocopherol measurements were available for 29 102 of the men, among whom 1144 incident cases of lung cancer were diagnosed during a median observation period of 7.7 years. The association between alpha-tocopherol and lung cancer was evaluated with the use of multivariate proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: A 19% reduction in lung cancer incidence was observed in the highest versus lowest quintile of serum alpha-tocopherol (relative risk = 0.81; 95% confidence interval = 0. 67-0.97). There was a stronger inverse association among younger men (<60 years), among men with less cumulative tobacco exposure (<40 years of smoking), and possibly among men receiving alpha-tocopherol supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: In the ATBC Study cohort, higher serum alpha-tocopherol status is associated with lower lung cancer risk; this relationship appears stronger among younger persons and among those with less cumulative smoke exposure. These findings suggest that high levels of alpha-tocopherol, if present during the early critical stages of tumorigenesis, may inhibit lung cancer development.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Higher blood levels of alpha-tocopherol, the predominant form of vitamin E, have been associated in some studies with a reduced risk of lung cancer, but other studies have yielded conflicting results. To clarify this association, we examined the relationship between prospectively collected serum alpha-tocopherol and lung cancer in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study cohort. METHODS: The ATBC Study was a randomized, clinical trial of 29 133 white male smokers from Finland who were 50-69 years old and who had received alpha-tocopherol (50 mg), beta-carotene (20 mg), both, or neither daily for 5-8 years. Data regarding medical histories, smoking, and dietary factors were obtained at study entry, as was a serum specimen for baseline alpha-tocopherol determination. alpha-Tocopherol measurements were available for 29 102 of the men, among whom 1144 incident cases of lung cancer were diagnosed during a median observation period of 7.7 years. The association between alpha-tocopherol and lung cancer was evaluated with the use of multivariate proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: A 19% reduction in lung cancer incidence was observed in the highest versus lowest quintile of serum alpha-tocopherol (relative risk = 0.81; 95% confidence interval = 0. 67-0.97). There was a stronger inverse association among younger men (<60 years), among men with less cumulative tobacco exposure (<40 years of smoking), and possibly among men receiving alpha-tocopherol supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: In the ATBC Study cohort, higher serum alpha-tocopherol status is associated with lower lung cancer risk; this relationship appears stronger among younger persons and among those with less cumulative smoke exposure. These findings suggest that high levels of alpha-tocopherol, if present during the early critical stages of tumorigenesis, may inhibit lung cancer development.
Authors: Meira Epplein; Adrian A Franke; Robert V Cooney; J Steven Morris; Lynne R Wilkens; Marc T Goodman; Suzanne P Murphy; Brian E Henderson; Laurence N Kolonel; Loïc Le Marchand Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2009-06-16 Impact factor: 4.254
Authors: Somdat Mahabir; Kalli Schendel; Yong Quan Dong; Stephanie L Barrera; Margaret R Spitz; Michele R Forman Journal: Int J Cancer Date: 2008-09-01 Impact factor: 7.396
Authors: Jessie A Satia; Alyson Littman; Christopher G Slatore; Joseph A Galanko; Emily White Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2009-02-10 Impact factor: 4.897