Vitamins E, C May Protect Against Bladder Cancer

Vitamins E, C May Protect Against Bladder Cancer

BOSTON--Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Healthinvestigating the relationship between bladder cancer and macro/micronutrientsfound that some vitamins had an antioxidant effect on the cancer. Published inthe Dec. 15 American Journal of Epidemiology (152, 12:1145-53, 2000), thestudy used men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

Each participant filled out 131 questions about food frequency in 1986 and1990, from which nutrient intakes were calculated. During a 12-year follow-upperiod, 320 cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed. No relationships wereobserved between bladder cancer and calories, potassium, sodium, calcium,magnesium, phosphorus, iron or water-soluble vitamins. However, an inverserelationship between dietary vitamin E and vitamin E supplements was found, aswell as a dose-response relationship for vitamin E and vitamin C supplements.Researchers, led by D.S. Michaud, concluded that more studies are needed todetermine the role of vitamins E and C in bladder carcinogenesis. For additionalinformation, visit www.aje.oupjournals.org.