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Research: MIN and MIN,
Listed in Issue 219
Abstract
MIN and MIN, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea investigated - by stratifying the risk by current smoking status - whether serum carotenoid levels were associated with the mortality risk of lung cancer.
Background
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-induced death in the USA. Although much attention has been focused on the anti-carcinogenic effect of consuming carotenoid-containing food or supplements, the results have been inconsistent.
Methodology
The authors investigated whether serum carotenoid levels were associated with the mortality risk of lung cancer in US adults using data from a nationally representative sample. The data were obtained from the Third Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES III) database and the NHANES III Linked Mortality File.
Results
A total of 10,382 participants aged over 20,years with available serum carotenoid levels and no other missing information on questionnaires and biomarkers at baseline (NHANES III) were included in the present study. Of the 10,382 participants, 161 subjects died due to lung cancer. The authors found that high serum levels of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin at baseline were significantly associated with a lower risk of lung cancer death. When the authors stratified the risk by current smoking status, the risk of death of current smokers was significantly decreased to 46% (95% confidence interval, 31-94%) for alpha-carotene and 61% (95% confidence interval, 19-80%) for beta-cryptoxanthin. By contrast, no association was observed among never/former smokers at baseline.
Conclusion
High serum levels of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin are associated with a lower risk of lung cancer death in US adults.
References
Min KB and Min JY. Serum carotenoid levels and risk of lung cancer death in US adults. Cancer Sci. 105(6):736-43. June 2014. PMID: 24673770. doi: 10.1111/cas.12405. Epub May 6. 2014.
Comment
The above large study with >10,000 participants demonstrated that high serum levels of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin – carotenoids - were associated with significantly reduced lung cancer death risk.
