The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Vitamin E and an increased risk of prostate cancer

    The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) found no reduction in risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E supplements.

    As a follow-up, researchers in the US determined the long-term effect of vitamin E and selenium in relatively healthy men.

    First, the details.

    • 35,533 men with no evidence of prostate cancer were randomly assigned to a treatment group.
      • Selenium (200 mcg/day) + vitamin E placebo
      • Vitamin E (400 IU/day) + selenium placebo
      • Selenium + vitamin E
      • Placebo forms of selenium and vitamin E
    • Participants were followed for at lease 7 years and maximum of 12 years.

    And, the results.

    • Compared with placebo, there was a significant increased risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E but not with selenium or the combination.
    • The men taking vitamin E had a 17% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men taking placebo.

    The bottom line?

    In 2008, SELECT researchers found that selenium and vitamin E, taken alone or together for an average of 5.5 years, did not prevent prostate cancer. Men in the study were told to stop taking their study supplements because of this lack of benefit

    The latest results support that recommendation.

    11/13/11 22:25 JR

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