Study checks
prostate cancer, nutrition link

A joint cancer prevention study by the National Cancer Institute, St. Joseph Hospital, Cascadia Clinical trials and Swedish Hospital is looking for local volunteers. The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is trying to determine if the two dietary supplements can protect from prostate cancer, the second most common form of cancer for men, after skin cancer.

Men age 55 or older, 50 or older for black men, who are generally in good health, and have never had prostate cancer or any other form of cancer in the last five years, are eligible for the study.

Participants will be put in one of four groups when they enroll and will start taking one, both or none of the two supplements – 200 micrograms of selenium and 400 milligrams of vitamin E, daily. Every six months they will visit the St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Center for a check-up.

Selenium and vitamin E are both naturally occurring antioxidants, capable of neutralizing free radicals that could possibly lead to cancer. The two nutrients were chosen because, in previous studies of skin cancer and lung cancer they were found to have no effect on the cancer being studied but appeared to decrease the risk of prostate cancer. “The only way to determine the real value of these supplements is to do a large clinical trial focused specifically on this disease,” said Leslie Ford of the National Cancer Institute.

Men interested in participating in the trial can call 715-4174..
.

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