がんの化学予防薬としてのベータ・カロチンの評価

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Over the past decade, it has become a tenet of cancer prevention theory that taking high doses of beta-carotene will likely protect against cancer. So in light of that popular hypothesis, cancer prevention experts are having to struggle to make sense of the startling finding, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, that supplements of beta-carotene markedly increased the incidence of lung cancer in Finland. When all the data were analyzed, it became apparent that the incidence of lung cancer was 18% higher among the 1456O participants who took beta-carotene than among the 14573 who didn't. The benefits that have been seen in the epidemiologic studies may have been overestimated, and the dangers may have been underestimated. Recently, beta-carotene supplements have failed to reduce the incidence of cancers in some clinical trials. Although a trial in China found a significant reduction in cancer mortality among persons whose diets were supplemented daily with the combination beta-corotene, alph-tocopherol, and selenium, the benefit may indicate improved general health rather than averted cancer. Some longer-term trials have not been completed, but current data do not support the use of beta-carotene supplement for purposes of cancer prevention.
鈴鹿医療科学大学の論文
1995-03-31