"US researchers warned Tuesday of an alarming link between vitamin E supplements and a 17 percent increased risk of prostate cancer, describing the findings as an "important public health concern."
Ten years after the start of a randomized trial of more than 35,000 men, researchers discovered the spike in prostate cancer among those assigned to take vitamin E rather than selenium or a placebo.
"Dietary supplementation with vitamin E significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer among healthy men," said the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Selenium, a trace mineral found in foods like Brazil nuts, tuna and beef, is often deficient in areas such as China and Russia where it is lacking in the soil.
The study was launched based on previous research that had suggested that selenium or vitamin E might reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The latest data emerged three years after a preliminary study of the findings, published in 2008, showed a slightly higher but statistically insignificant risk of prostate cancer among those taking vitamin E.
However, since the risk was approaching statistical significance, a safety committee called for a halt to the randomized Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico in 2008.
A longer-term follow up, concluded in July of this year, has revealed the higher cancer incidence in men assigned to the vitamin E portion of the trial.
"Based on these results and the results of large cardiovascular studies using vitamin E, there is no reason for men in the general population to take the dose of vitamin E used in SELECT as the supplements have shown no benefit and some very real risks," said Eric Klein, a study co-chair for SELECT, and a physician at the Cleveland Clinic.
"For now, men who were part of SELECT should continue to see their primary care physician or urologist and bring these results to their attention for further consideration."
The study began in 2001 and broke participants into four groups: one would receive selenium, another would get 400 international units of daily vitamin E, another group would take both, and the fourth was prescribed a placebo.
A total of 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer, as did 555 in the combined selenium and vitamin E group.
Those taking selenium only saw 575 develop prostate cancer, compared to 529 on the sugar pill.
"The observed 17 percent increase in prostate cancer incidence demonstrates the potential for seemingly innocuous yet biologically active substances such as vitamins to cause harm," said the study.
Men entering the trial had no signs of prostate cancer and were considered to exhibit average risk of developing the disease, which is the second most common cancer among US men, after skin cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 and 33,720 men will die of prostate cancer in the United States.
The study found no biological explanation for why vitamin E was driving the risk higher, but warned that the effects of the pills may continue even after the patient stops taking them.
"The fact that the increased risk of prostate cancer in the vitamin E group of participants in SELECT was only apparent after extended follow-up... suggests that health effects from these agents may continue even after the intervention is stopped," it said.
The findings also "underscore the need for consumers to be skeptical of health claims for unregulated over-the-counter products in the absence of strong evidence of benefit demonstrated in clinical trials," it said.
The trial was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Aging and the National Eye Institute."
Now before you go getting your panties in a knot, let's look at the widely-spaced numbers in this article: they started with 35,000 men--out of those 35,000 men, "A total of 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer, as did 555 in the combined selenium and vitamin E group.
Those taking selenium only saw 575 develop prostate cancer, compared to 529 on the sugar pill." These are miniscule numbers, folks, and certainly not a reason to stop taking your vitamins or minerals. All of these groups had a LESS THAN 1% CHANCE of getting prostate cancer (the group number divided by the total number of men in the study). By dividing the total participant number by 4, then assessing risks and tallying actual cases, they made the numbers seem more scary and alarming than they really had to be--they're trying to create sickness where none exists, because those latest prostate cancer drugs are money-makers, and nobody's buying. SOMEBODY'S gotta create panic!
This chart is a perfect example (divide the estimated 125 U. S. cases by the 100,000 total number, and you get .000125). This is how the Big Pharma wheels get greased--it all starts with some hokey clinical trial, with the results written in such a way to scare the hell out of the public, and send them stampeding for the "miracle drug." Big Pharma then stands back and waits for the CHA-CHING!
"...a 17 percent increased risk of prostate cancer, describing the findings as an "important public health concern." That means 17 out of 100 had increased risk from taking just the Vitamin E, but 83 out of 100 were just fine. Increased risk doesn't always equal increased incidence. Does this remind you of the ballyhoo being made about our 9% unemployment rate? That means 9 out of 100 are unemployed, or 91% of us have jobs!
Did the inflicted participants eat fast food a lot, consume a lot of sugar, avoid exercise, and/or avoid fresh produce? We don't know, and I bet the researchers don't either. Avoiding fresh produce and the antioxidants they carry increases your risk for cancer in general, as does sugar over-consumption.
If you take selenium, or Vitamin E, or even a sugar pill, go on taking them (unless you have a family history of cancer, and eat a bad diet)--your chances of NOT getting prostate cancer is 99% or better! The different cancer lobbies involved in funding this little study are trolling for attention, and obviously had a little research grant money to blow, and blow they did. They also published, and possibly gave rise to yet another "run for the cure" ribbon-festooning campaign. They're also trying to get insurers other than Medicare to pay for these very expensive drugs.
As you can see from the risk factors graphic above, it takes a hell of a lot more than some simple supplements to give someone prostate cancer--they also need decades of bad diet, family history of cancers, and all the other lifestyle-risk factors that go along with cancer susceptibility in general. Who's to say these men weren't already setting themselves up for prostate cancer before they ever walked into that study, and were going to get prostate cancer regardless of the study?
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Advanced age is also a risk factor. So you easily could die with prostate cancer without dying of it and that's why routine screening is being reconsidered. Similar studies have convinced women that 40% will get breast cancer. The statistics say about a third of that. Belief that you will get the disease is the cancer industry's favorite sugar pill. The same companies that make breast cancer treatment drugs make known carcinogens that cause breast cancer. I'm gonna bet that the same thing is happening here. I know where I'd like to tie that ribbon.
The risk chart shows farmer as a risky occupation, due to chemical exposure. Geez louise, what's wrong with that picture?
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