Serum -Tocopherol and -Tocopherol in Relation to Prostate Cancer Risk in a Prospective Study

Abstract

The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study demonstrated a 32% reduction in prostate cancer incidence in response to daily α-tocopherol supplementation. We examined baseline serum concentrations of α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol to compare their respective associations with prostate cancer risk. From the ATBC Study cohort of 29 133 Finnish men, 50–69 years old, we randomly selected 100 incident prostate cancer case patients and matched 200 control subjects. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for the serum tocopherols (measured by high-performance liquid chromatography) using logistic regression models. All P values were two-sided. Odds ratios for the highest versus the lowest tertiles were 0.49 (95% CI = 0.24 to 1.01, P_trend = .05) for α-tocopherol and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.31 to 1.06, P_trend = .08) for γ-tocopherol. Further analyses indicated that the association of high serum tocopherols with low prostate cancer risk was stronger in the α-tocopherol–supplemented group than in those not receiving α-tocopherol. Participants with higher circulating concentrations of the major vitamin E fractions, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, had similarly lower prostate cancer risk.