Selenium Chemoprevention: Benefits and Harms

Selenium is a trace element that may have anti-carcinogenetic effect, but heterogenous treatment effects have been observed. This genome-wide association study investigates if genetic variation modifies the effect of selenium chemoprevention in the Selenium and Celecoxib Trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. The objective of the clinical trial was to determine whether daily intake of 200 µg/d of selenium as a supplement could reduce the risk for developing metachronous colorectal adenomas. The study participants were recruited between 2001 and 2011. Genome-wide association study was performed for 1,323 study participants who provided blood sample at the time of study entry.]]>
Both male and female participants were eligible for the Selenium and Celecoxib trial. Adult individuals between 40 and 80 years of age who had a total colonoscopy with removal of at least one adenoma with a minimum diameter of >3 mm within the 6 months prior to study entry were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included the presence of familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer; reported uncontrolled hypertension or heart disease; uncontrolled diabetes; or renal insufficiency]]>