TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Supplements of antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C do not confer a lower risk of prostate cancer, according to a study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Richard B. Hayes, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute, and colleagues analyzed data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial to assess the potential benefits of antioxidants in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
Out of 29,361 men, 1,338 cases of prostate cancer were identified. A questionnaire ascertained that there was no association between the risk of prostate cancer and dietary intake of vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
However, among men who took supplements of vitamin E, there was a decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer in males who were either currently smoking, or who had smoked within the past decade. Similarly, men with a low dietary intake of beta-carotene who took a supplement of at least 2,000 μg/day had a lower risk of prostate cancer.
"Our cohort findings, although based on relatively short follow-up, do not provide strong support for population-wide implementation of high-dose antioxidant supplementation for the prevention of prostate cancer. They do suggest, however, that in certain population subgroups there was an association between supplement intake and reduced risks of prostate cancer," the authors conclude.
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