(01-07-12) Selenium and prostate cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

1,2,3,4
1. Rachel Hurst,
2. Lee Hooper,
3. Teresa Norat,
4. Rosa Lau,
5. Dagfinn Aune,
6. Darren C Greenwood,
7. Rui Vieira,
8. Rachel Collings,
9. Linda J Harvey,
10. Jonathan AC Sterne,
11. Rebecca Beynon,
12. Jelena Savović, and
13. Susan J Fairweather-Tait
+ Author Affiliations
1. 1From the Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom (RH, LH, RC, LJH, and SJF-T); the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom (TN, RL, DA, and RV); the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom (DCG); and the School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (JACS, RB, and JS).
+ Author Notes
? ↵2 This review does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission and in no way anticipates the future policy in this area. Interpretation of the evidence in this review may not represent the views of WCRF International/AICR and may differ from those in future WCRF International/AICR updates of the evidence related to food, nutrition, physical activity, and cancer risk.
? ↵3 Supported in part by the Commission of the European Communities, specific RTD Programme ?Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources,? within the 6th Framework Programme (contract no. FP6-036196-2 EURRECA: EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned) (RC, RH, and LJH) and by WCRF (RL, DA, TN, DCG, RB, and JS).
? ↵4 Address correspondence to SJ Fairweather-Tait, Norwich Medical School Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom NR4 7TJ. E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract
Background: Prostate cancer is a growing public health problem. Several human studies have shown a potentially protective effect of selenium, but the conclusions from published reports are inconsistent.
Objective: The objective was to examine the evidence for relations between selenium intake, selenium status, and prostate cancer risk.
Design: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, and prospective cohort studies. The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Continuous Update Project database was searched up to September 2010. The studies included reported measurements of selenium intake or status (plasma, serum, or toenail selenium), assessments of prostate cancer cases (number of events), and the RR in the adult population. Meta-analyses were performed, and study quality, heterogeneity, and small study effects were assessed. Dose-response meta-analyses were used, with restricted cubic splines and fractional polynomials for nonlinear trends, to investigate the association between selenium status and prostate cancer risk.
Results: Twelve studies with a total of 13,254 participants and 5007 cases of prostate cancer were included. The relation between plasma/serum selenium and prostate cancer in a nonlinear dose-response meta-analysis showed that the risk decreased with increasing plasma/serum selenium up to 170 ng/mL. Three high-quality studies included in the meta-analysis of toenail selenium and cancer risk indicated a reduction in prostate cancer risk (estimated RR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.61) with a toenail selenium concentration between 0.85 and 0.94 μg/g.
Conclusion: The relation between selenium status and decreased prostate cancer risk was examined over a relatively narrow range of selenium status; further studies in low-selenium populations are required.

1. Source: Am J Clin Nutr July 2012 vol. 96 no. 1 111-122

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