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Title: Beta-carotene Supplementation Appears to Increase Risk of Lung Cancer in Smokers

URL: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/290/4/476

JAMA 2003;290:476-485. "Incidence of Cancer and Mortality Following [Alpha]-Tocopherol and [Beta]-Carotene Supplementation: A Postintervention Follow-up"
07/25/2003 03:24:44 PM
By Martha Kerr

Both the benefits and adverse effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation disappear after supplementation is stopped, according to a study with a cumulative experience of 16 years and nearly 350,000 person-years of follow-. However, during active treatment, beta-carotene supplementation appears to increase risk of lung cancer among smokers. Post-intervention follow-up of 29,132 male smokers in the Finnish Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial, led by Dr. Jarmo Virtamo of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland, shows that there was "no overall effect of alpha-tocopherol on lung cancer incidence, whereas beta-carotene increased the rate 17%.". Subjects were randomised to receive alpha-tocopherol 50 mg daily, beta-carotene 20 mg daily, both agents, or placebo for 5 to 8 years. The researchers evaluated the effects of antioxidant supplementation in the 4 to 6 years following the intervention. Results suggest that alpha-tocopherol may slow the progression of later stage prostate cancer and reduce overall incidence by 34%, but "this effect is transient, diminishing fairly rapidly following cessation of supplementation," the authors report. Total mortality among men randomised to beta-carotene was 8% higher compared with men in other arms of the study, with the higher mortality primarily due to cardiovascular diseases of a "diverse spectrum" of causes. Overall, the Finnish researchers conclude, "the beneficial and adverse effects of supplemental alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene disappeared" within a few years after cessation of supplementation.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/290/4/476

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