Vitamin E use linked to reducing bladder cancer mortality

Researchers studied nearly 1 million US adults for 16 years and interviewed them about their diet. Those who had been taking vitamin E supplements for at least 10 years were less likely to die from bladder cancer, compared with adults who reported shorter durations of use.

In contrast, there was no association between regular vitamin C use and bladder cancer mortality, report researchers in the December issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The current findings support those of two previous studies that showed an inverse relationship between bladder cancer risk and vitamin E intake.

Exactly how vitamin E may protect against bladder cancer is unclear. It might result from its antioxidant effect in neutralising DNA-damaging free radicals. Alternatively, vitamin E may boost the immune system or prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.

However, if vitamin E’s antioxidant properties are responsible for the protective effect, it is not clear why vitamin C use confers no protection against the malignancy. Lead study author Dr. Eric J. Jacobs, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, noted that both vitamins have other functions that might be responsible.

Dr. Jacob emphasised that further studies are needed to verify the current results and to possibly shed light on vitamin E’s mechanism of action.

(Source: ASCO)