Selenium, Vitamins E and C Won't Prevent Prost...(he latest in a long list of recent resea...),Health

"Single-agent interventions, even in combinations, may be an ineffective approach to primary prevention in average-risk populations," wrote Dr. Peter Gann, the author of an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal.

Andrew Shao, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Center for Responsible Nutrition in Washington, D.C., said he thought researchers need to "redefine our expectations for nutrients. They're not magic bullets, though they do have tangible effects."

Shao said studies that look at vitamins and cancer prevention tend to treat vitamins the same way they would a targeted pharmaceutical agent. But, he said, "the whole body is affected by nutrients, while pharmaceuticals are highly specialized and targeted to specific cells."

"It would be a mistake to look at one trial that answers a very specific question and say these nutrients don't work at all," said Shao.

Lippman, however, said he doesn't recommend the use of supplements for cancer prevention. "There's no evidence to support taking these," he said.

More information

To learn more about prostate cancer prevention, visit the American Cancer Society.

SOURCES: Scott Lippman, M.D., professor, medicine, division of cancer medicine, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Center for Responsible Nutrition, Washington D.C.; Jan. 7, 2009, Journal of the American Medi
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