A case control study of selenium in cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nutritional Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Selenium's role as a potential cancer risk modifier is recognized.
• Previous case-control studies suggest selenium's involvement in various cancer sites.
• Nutritional status, specifically selenium levels, requires further investigation in specific cancer types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate selenium nutriture in patients diagnosed with oral and esophageal cancer.
• To compare selenium levels between cancer patients and matched healthy controls.
• To assess the association between selenium levels and the risk of oral and esophageal cancer.

Main Methods:

• Case-control study design.
• Measurement of mean selenium levels in oral cancer patients, esophageal cancer patients, and matched controls.
• Calculation of relative risk estimates for oral and esophageal cancer based on selenium levels.

Main Results:

• Mean selenium levels were lower in oral cancer patients (102.6 ng/ml) and esophageal cancer patients (103.3 ng/ml) compared to matched controls (117.5 ng/ml and 116.2 ng/ml, respectively).
• Significantly elevated relative risks were observed for oral cancer (3.16, P < 0.02) and esophageal cancer (16.0, P < 0.01) in patients with lower selenium levels.
• Cancer risk appears to escalate as selenium levels fall below 115 ng/ml.

Conclusions:

• Selenium nutriture is significantly altered in patients with oral and esophageal cancer.
• Lower selenium levels are associated with a substantially increased risk of developing oral and esophageal cancer.
• Maintaining adequate selenium levels may be a potential preventive strategy for these cancers.