About SELECT Prostate cancer is a major public health problem. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer, after skin cancer, among men in the United States and Canada. Men of all ages, races, and ethnic groups can get prostate cancer. You are at higher risk if: you are age 55 or older. you are African-American. you have a father or brother with prostate cancer. What is SELECT? The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial is a very important research study taking place in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. SELECT is trying to find out if taking selenium and/or vitamin E supplements can prevent prostate cancer. We already have some evidence that selenium and vitamin E may be able to prevent prostate cancer, but we don't know for sure. SELECT is sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, a government agency. The study is coordinated by a group of researchers known as the Southwest Oncology Group. More than 35,000 men have taken part in SELECT. Why study Selenium and Vitamin E? Our bodies need selenium and vitamin E. We get selenium in our water and food, especially in seafood, meats, and Brazil nuts. We get vitamin E in a wide range of foods, especially vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, and egg yolks. Selenium and vitamin E are anti-oxidants. It is believed that they help control the cell damage that can lead to cancer. Two studies that looked at preventing other cancers suggest that selenium and vitamin E might prevent prostate cancer. In a study conducted in the United States by Clark et al., prostate cancer incidence was reduced by two-thirds among men taking selenium on a daily basis.1 In the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Study conducted in United States, there was a one-third reduction in prostate cancer incidence and a 40% reduction in prostate cancer deaths in men taking vitamin E.2 But neither of these studies focused directly on prostate cancer. SELECT is the first study to look directly at the effect of selenium and/or vitamin E on the risk of prostate cancer. This study is being done to find out if selenium and/or vitamin E can really prevent prostate cancer. The amount of selenium and vitamin E used in SELECT is 200 micrograms (µg) of selenium and 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin E per day. Previous studies have shown that these amounts are safe. How can you find out more about SELECT? If you are interested in finding out more about the study, please call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). The number for callers with TTY equipment is 1-800-332-8615. If you live in Canada, please call the Canadian Cancer Society's Cancer Information Service at 1-888-939-3333. References 1. Clark LC, Combs GF Jr, Turnbull BW, et al. Effects of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in patients with carcinoma of the skin. A randomized controlled trial. Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Study Group. JAMA 276:1957-1963, 1996. 2. Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Huttunen JK, et al. Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 90:440-6, 1998. Click here for further information on selenium and vitamin E.
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