The ATBC ( Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention ) study investigated risk factors and prevention of major chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The study population consisted of 29133 male smokers, aged 50 to 69 years, who participated in a randomized placebo-controlled trial between 1985 and 1993.

ATBC Study demonstrated a 32 percent reduction in prostate cancer incidence in response to daily alpha-tocopherol supplementation.

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) in Bethedsa and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle examined baseline serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol to compare their respective associations with prostate cancer risk.

From the ATBC Study cohort 100 patients with prostate cancer were randomly selected and compared with 200 matched control subjects.

Odds ratios for the highest versus the lowest tertiles were 0.49 ( p for trend = 0.05) for alpha-tocopherol and 0.57 ( p for trend = 0.08) for gamma-tocopherol.

Further analyses indicated that the association of high serum tocopherols with low prostate cancer risk was stronger in the alpha-tocopherol–supplemented group than in those not receiving alpha-tocopherol.

Individuals with higher circulating concentrations of the major vitamin E fractions, alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol, had similarly lower prostate cancer risk.

Vitamin E may play a role in cancer prevention through its antioxidant activity.

Source : Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005

XagenaMedicine2005