Supplements don't prevent prostate cancer

HOUSTON , Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Selenium and vitamin E taken alone or in combination for an average of 5 1/2 years did not prevent prostate cancer, U.S. researchers said.

A team of researchers coordinated by the Southwest Oncology Group was led by scientists at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic. The Phase III trial began recruitment in August 2001 and aimed to determine whether selenium, vitamin E, or both could prevent prostate cancer and other diseases in relatively healthy men.

The study tracked 35,533 participants from 427 sites in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind trial divided the participants into four intervention groups: selenium, vitamin E, both selenium and vitamin E, and placebos.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found no evidence of benefit from selenium, vitamin E, or both. Additionally, the data showed two statistically non-significant findings of concern: slightly increased risks of prostate cancer in the vitamin E group and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the selenium group. However, both trends may be due to chance and were not observed in the group taking selenium and vitamin E together, the researchers said.