livingmed.com Blog

Research on Supplements and Lung Cancer Flawed

March 8th, 2008

…A recently study on the effects of long-term use of certain dietary supplements including vitamin E and folates on lung cancer risk reported these supplements do not reduce risk. Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Natural Products Association, questioned the study’s methodology: “The study states that ‘supplemental vitamin E was not associated with an increased risk of NSCLC (nonsmall cell lung cancer).’  When analyzed by dose categories, vitamin E was only associated with an increased risk when modeled continuously. In its simplest terms, this result is a ‘virtual’ clinical result, not a real one. The use of modeling is to better design future trials, not draw solid conclusions on risk by any means. Additionally, the study goes on to say that ‘results show a possible U-shaped association, with subjects using a medium dose for 10 years having a decreased risk, whereas those using a high dose for 10 years showed an increased risk.’ This point was irresponsibly absent in the press releases. Finally, the researchers do not analyze the effect of supplemental vitamin E on the non-smoking group, so at what point does the risk get appropriately assigned to cigarette use?” says Fabricant. The report was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Volume 177, pages 524-530.

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