The Outcome of Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) Reveals the Need for Better Understanding of Selenium Biology

Abstract

The recently completed Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was one of the largest human cancer prevention trials ever undertaken. Its purpose was to assess the role of selenium and vitamin E in prostate cancer prevention, but SELECT found no decline in prostate cancer. Comparison of this study to other clinical trials involving selenium and to the results of animal studies suggests that the source of the selenium supplement, L-selenomethionine, and the relatively high initial levels of selenium in the enrolled men may have contributed to this outcome. Further analysis of the clinical and animal data highlights the need for mechanistic studies to better understand selenium biology in order to target dietary selenium to appropriate subsets of the human population: those individuals most likely to benefit from this micronutrient.