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

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.
JAMA 2003;290:476-485. "Incidence of Cancer and Mortality Following [Alpha]-Tocopherol and [Beta]-Carotene Supplementation: A Postintervention Follow-up"

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