Effect of Selenium and Vitamin E on Risk of Prostate Cancer and Other Cancers.

The article presents a randomized controlled trial which examined whether selenium, vitamin E, or both could prevent prostate cancer and other diseases with little or no toxicity in healthy men. Participants were African American men 50 years or older and non-African American men 55 years or older with a serum prostate-specific antigen level of 4 ng/mL or less and a digital rectal examination showing no suspicion for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer was the main outcome. Secondary outcomes included lung, colorectal, and overall primary cancer. The median overall follow-up as of October 23, 2008 was 5.46 years. Researchers found that selenium or vitamin E, alone or in combination, did not prevent prostate cancer.