Selenium against Breast Cancer!

June 19, 2003

A combination of nutritional research and knowledge on genetics may lead to an earlier discovery and prevention of breast cancer. New scientific research seems to indicate that dietary supplements with selenium may prevent breast cancer in those women genetically predisposed to breast cancer.

A combination of nutritional research and knowledge about genes may lead to an earlier discovery and prevention of breast cancer. New research suggests that dietary supplements with selenium can prevent breast cancer in women who are genetically exposed to the disease.

The researchers believe that there is an opportunity to find out who is in the danger zone – before the disease develops – and then preventing using selenium supplements.

– We have long had documentation that selenium has a preventive effect on the development and mortality of cancer. The theory has so far been that selenium, especially selenomethionine, affects a certain protein P53, so that the cancer does not become so aggressive. But this study suggests that selenium also has an impact on those genetically predisposed to cancer, and this will mean a major leap forward in efforts to prevent cancer, says doctor Claus Hancke.

A study from the University of Illinois at Chicago focused on the effects of a selenium-containing protein (glutathione peroxidase) that acts as an antioxidant. The gene that contains the “code” for the protein was examined to see if there were any differences in relation to breast cancer.

The results suggest that nutritional research may be closely linked to our knowledge of genes, as changes in a particular gene may be used to make diagnoses earlier than otherwise.

The researchers compared certain genes in 517 healthy people with tissue samples from 79 breast cancer patients, and it turned out that there was a clear difference in the occurrence of the gene in the two groups.

There is no scientific basis for the theory that selenium can prevent cancer, but many clinical studies have suggested that this is the case. Over twenty years, animal studies have shown that small doses of selenium can prevent cancer in various organs.

Researchers believe that certain proteins in breast cells contain selenium, which may promote a preventive effect. By examining the genes, it may be possible to find out who can produce the protein themselves and who needs selenium supplements.

By: Vitality Council

Reference:
Cancer Research, 15. June 2003.

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