- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Maggots as Good as Gel in Leg Ulcer Treatments
- Acupuncture May Not Help Hot Flashes
- Health Tip: Anticipating Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- BONES & JOINTS
- Healthy adults have potential autoimmune disease-causing cells
- Frankincense Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis
- Many Americans Fall Short on Their Vitamin D
- CANCER
- Some Spices Cut Cancer Risk That Comes With Grilled Burgers
- Lifting Weights Can Ease Arm Swelling in Breast Cancer Survivors
- Supplements Might Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
- CAREGIVING
- Study of Everest Climbers Questions Oxygen Use
- What Moms Learned May Be Passed to Offspring
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Acupuncture May Ease Anxiety Over Dental Work
- Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- DIABETES
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated
- Out-of-Control Blood Sugar May Affect Memory
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Coffee or Tea Consumption May Lower Stroke Risk
- Purple Tomato Extended Lives of Cancer-Prone Mice
- TV Food Ads Promote Bad Diets
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Cleaning House May Be Risky for Women With Asthma
- Global Warming May Bring More Respiratory Woes
- Controversial Chemical Lingers Longer in the Body
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Green Tea May Ward Off Eye Disease
- Cases of Age-Related Farsightedness to Soar
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- FITNESS
- FDA Mandates New Warnings for Botox
- Basketball Star Details His Struggle With Gout
- Yoga Can Ease Lower Back Pain
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Lower Vitamin D Levels in Blacks May Up Heart Risks
- Diet, Exercise May Slow Kidney Disease Progression
- Lose Weight, Sleep Apnea May Improve
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids Can Be Good for You
- Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Hand Washing 10 Times a Day May Help Keep Flu Away
- KID'S HEALTH
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- Frequent Feedings May Be Making Babies Fat
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Eating Fast Until Full Triples Overweight Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- Musicians' Brains Tuned to Emotions in Sound
- Psychotherapy Can Boost Happiness More Than Money
- PREGNANCY
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- Expectant Mom's Exercise Keeps Newborn's Birth Weight Down
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Nighttime Urination Linked to Higher Death Rate Among Elderly
- Eating Well And Keeping Active As You Grow Old Will Help You Stay Sharp
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
Vitamin E, Selenium and Soy Won't Prevent Prostate Cancer
By eHolistic.com Published: 05/01/2009
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite earlier promise, three nutrients - vitamin E, selenium and soy - do not seem to prevent prostate cancer in men with precancerous prostate lesions, Canadian researchers report.
"There has been a collection of scientific data that has suggested that these agents could have a tremendous impact in preventing prostate cancer," said lead researcher Dr. Neil E. Fleshner, a Clinical Studies Resource Centre Member at the Ontario Cancer Institute and Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention at the University of Toronto.
"So there was great hope that this would be a magic bullet that would help prevent prostate cancer," he said. "Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be so."
The report was to be presented Sunday at the American Urological Association's annual meeting, in Chicago.
For the study, Fleshner's team randomly assigned 303 men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (precancerous lesions) to receive soy protein, vitamin E and selenium, or a placebo. Over three years, the men had several biopsies to determine if they had developed prostate cancer.
Just over 26 percent of the men did develop invasive prostate cancer. However, the three nutrients did not seem to minimize that risk, the team found.
"To recommend soy and these supplement to men with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia really doesn't make much sense, if the reason you are giving it is to prevent your patient from developing invasive cancer," Fleshner concluded.
He did leave the door open to using these supplements to prevent prostate cancer before precancerous lesions have formed. "In pre-cancer, the cells may already be so damaged that supplements can't reverse the changes," he reasoned. "Or maybe it just doesn't work."
The results confirm the findings of the two recent prospective trials, which also found that vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium do not prevent prostate cancer. The results of these trials were published in the Jan. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Other recent studies have suggested that vitamins, B, C, D, E, folic acid and calcium taken alone, or in various combinations, aren't effective for cancer prevention.
"Single-agent interventions, even in combinations, may be an ineffective approach to primary prevention in average-risk populations," wrote Dr. Peter Gann, author of an accompanying Journal of the American Medical Association editorial.
However, one expert believes that while vitamins E and C may not prevent prostate tumors, soy might still prove to be of benefit.
"There is some evidence from laboratory and population studies that soy protein or its components might reduce risk of prostate cancer," said Eric Jacobs, strategic director for Pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society.
In this study, soy protein had no apparent effect on the development of prostate cancer among men who already had precursor lesions in the prostate, Jacobs noted. "However, it remains possible that soy could reduce risk of developing prostate cancer by inhibiting earlier stages of prostate cancer development, or that soy could reduce the risk of recurrence or disease spread in men with prostate cancer," he said.
Douglas MacKay is vice president for Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at the Center for Responsible Nutrition, which represents the supplements industry. He believes the role of supplements is complex and trying to find a pill that will prevent cancer is a hopeless task. However, supplements and a healthy lifestyle can both play a role in helping patients prevent or fight cancer, MacKay said.
"Soy isoflavones and other dietary supplements may help prevent the development of cancer," MacKay said. "Men should include these things as part of a healthy lifestyle and integrated approach to preventive medicine. However non-pharmacologic dietary preventions, whole foods, extracts and herbs' influence on the development of cancer is complex and may not be appropriately tested using a randomized clinical trial."
More information
For more information on prostate cancer, visit the American Cancer Society .
SOURCES: Neil E. Fleshner, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Studies Resource Centre Member, Ontario Cancer Institute, Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention, University of Toronto, Canada; Eric Jacobs, Ph.D., strategic director, Pharmacoepidemiology, American Cancer Society; Douglas MacKay, N.D., vice president, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Center for Responsible Nutrition, Washington D.C.; April 26, 2009, presentation, American Urological Association annual meeting, Chicago
Last Updated: May 01, 2009
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