Antioxidant Supplementation Increases the Risk of Skin Cancers in Women but Not in Men

Abstract

This research aimed to test whether supplementation with a combination of antioxidant vitamins and minerals could reduce the risk of skin cancers (SC). It was performed within the framework of the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants study, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, primary prevention trial testing the efficacy of nutritional doses of antioxidants in reducing incidence of cancer and ischemic heart disease in the general population. French adults (7876 women and 5141 men) were randomized to take an oral daily capsule of antioxidants (120 mg vitamin C, 30 mg vitamin E, 6 mg beta-carotene, 100 microg selenium, and 20 mg zinc) or a matching placebo. The median time of follow-up was 7.5 y. A total of 157 cases of all types of SC were reported, from which 25 were melanomas. Because the effect of antioxidants on SC incidence varied according to gender, men and women were analyzed separately. In women, the incidence of SC was higher in the antioxidant group [adjusted hazard ratio (adjusted HR) = 1.68; P = 0.03]. Conversely, in men, incidence did not differ between the 2 treatment groups (adjusted HR = 0.69; P = 0.11). Despite the small number of events, the incidence of melanoma was also higher in the antioxidant group for women (adjusted HR = 4.31; P = 0.02). The incidence of nonmelanoma SC did not differ between the antioxidant and placebo groups (adjusted HR = 1.37; P = 0.22 for women and adjusted HR = 0.72; P = 0.19 for men). Our findings suggest that antioxidant supplementation affects the incidence of SC differentially in men and women.

Cancer, Oxidative Stress, and Metastasis

“…Subsequent trials not only failed to reproduce these findings (Hennekens et al 1996;Lee et al 1999Lee et al , 2005Hercberg et al 2004Hercberg et al , 2007Gaziano et al 2009Gaziano et al , 2012 but suggested that in some cases, antioxidants may actually promote cancer initiation and progression. The Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study treated male smokers with vitamin E, bcarotene, both, or neither for 5-8 yr (ATBC 1994).…”

Effects of Vitamin Treatment or Supplements with Purported Antioxidant Properties on Skin Cancer Prevention: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…We excluded 18 articles [25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42] for the following reasons: description of only study protocol or rationale (n = 4) [25,26,27,28], precancerous lesions or nonskin cancer as outcome measures (n = 12) [29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40], and use of supplements not relevant to the current study subject (n = 2) [41,42]. …”

Polymorphismes du MC1R et photovieillissement du visage

“…Dans le cadre de l'étude épidémiologique SUpplémenta-tion en VItamines et Minéraux AntioXydants (SU.VI.MAX), une étude de cohorte réalisée sur des volontaires adultes français [6,7], une étude génétique ancillaire transversale a été conduite sur un échantillon de 570 femmes (âge à l'inclusion : 44 à 70 ans). La population de l'étude comprenait finalement 530 femmes après exclusions liées à des écarts au protocole, des échantillons sanguins manquants ou non utilisables, ou encore des phénotypes non caucasiens.…”