Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation on gastric cancer incidence in male smokers (ATBC Study, Finland)

  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation on the incidence of gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 29,133 male smokers, aged 50–69 years, participated in a placebo-controlled prevention trial, the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study in southwestern Finland between 1985 and 1993. The men were randomly assigned to receive alpha-tocopherol (50 mg/day) or beta-carotene (20 mg/day) supplementation in a 2 × 2 factorial design. We identified 126 gastric cancer cases during the median follow-up of six years. Of these, 122 were adenocarcinomas: 75 of intestinal type, 30 of diffuse type, and 17 of mixed type. Results: There was no significant effect for either supplementation on the overall incidence of gastric cancer: relative risk (RR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85–1.74 for alpha-tocopherol, and RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.88–1.80 for beta-carotene. Subgroup analyses by histologic type suggested an increased risk for beta-carotene on intestinal type cancers, RR 1.59, 95% CI 0.99–2.56. There were no differences across anatomic locations (cardia/noncardia) in the effects of alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene supplementation. Conclusions: Our study found no overall preventive effect of long-term supplementation with alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene on gastric cancer in middle-aged male smokers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cannon G, ed. (1997) Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington, DC: American Institute for Cancer Research.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Fuchs CS, Mayer RJ (1995) Gastric carcinoma. N Engl J Med 333: 32–41.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cancer Statistics of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (2000) Cancer Incidence in Finland 1996 and 1997. Helsinki: Cancer Society of Finland.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Lauren P (1965) The two histological main types of gastric carcinoma: diffuse and so-called intestinal-type carcinoma. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 64: 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fenoglio-Preiser C, Carneoiro F, Correa P, et al. (2000) Gastric carcinoma. In: Hamilton SR, Aaltonen LA, eds. World Health Organization Classification of Tumours. Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of the Digestive System. Lyon: IARC Press, pp. 37–66.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Parsonnet J, Friedman GD, Vandersteen DP, et al. (1991) Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of gastric carcinoma. N Engl J Med 325: 1127–1131.

    Google Scholar 

  7. ATBC Cancer Prevention Study Group (1994) The alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene lung cancer prevention study: design, methods, participant characteristics, and compliance. Ann Epidemiol 4: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Teppo L, Pukkala E, Lehtonen M (1994) Data-quality and quality control of a population-based cancer registry. Acta Oncol 33: 365–369.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Beahrs OH, Henson DE, Hutter RVP, Kennedy BJ, eds. (1992) Manual for Staging of Cancer. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Cox DR, Oakes D (1984) Analysis of Survival Data. London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Aromaa A, Kosunen TU, Knekt P, et al. (1996) Circulating anti-Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin A antibodies and low serum pepsinogen I level are associated with increased risk of gastric cancer. Am J Epidemiol 144: 142–149.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Manson JE, et al. (1996) Lack of effect of long-term supplementation with beta carotene on the incidence of malignant neoplasms and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 334: 1145–1149.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Blot WJ, Li J-Y, Taylor PR, et al. (1993) Nutrition intervention trials in Linxian, China: supplementation with specific vitamin/ mineral combinations, cancer incidence, and disease-specific mortality in the general population. J Natl Cancer Inst 85: 1483–1492.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Li J-Y, Taylor PR, Li B, et al. (1993) Nutrition intervention trials in Linxian, China: multiple vitamin/mineral supplementation, cancer incidence, and disease-specific mortality among adults with esophageal dysplasia. J Natl Cancer Inst 85: 1492–1498.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Correa P, Fontham ETH, Bravo JC, et al. (2000) Chemoprevention of gastric dysplasia: randomized trial of antioxidant supplements and anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy. J Natl Cancer Inst 92: 1881–1888.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Blot WJ (2000) Preventing cancer by disrupting progression of precancerous lesions. J Natl Cancer Inst 92: 1868–1869.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ekstro¨ m AM, Serafini M, Nyren O, Hansson L-E, Ye W, Wolk A (2000) Dietary antioxidant intake and the risk of cardia cancer and noncardia cancer of the intestinal and diffuse types: a population-based case-control study in Sweden. Int J Cancer 87: 133–140.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Buiatti E, Palli D, Bianchi S, et al. (1991) A case-control study of gastric cancer and diet in Italy. III. Risk patterns by histologic type. Int J Cancer 48: 369–374.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Harrison LE, Zhang Z-F, Karpeh MS, Sun M, Kurtz RC (1997) The role of dietary factors in the intestinal and diffuse histologic subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma. Cancer 80: 1021–1028.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Botterweck AAM, van den Brandt PA, Goldbohm RA (2000) Vitamins, carotenoids, dietary fiber, and the risk of gastric carcinoma. Cancer 88: 737–748.

    Google Scholar 

  21. LaVecchia C, Franceschi S (2000) Nutrition and gastric cancer. Can J Gastroenterol 14 (Suppl D): 51D-54D.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Nea Malila, Mikko J. Virtanen, Pasi Korhonen, Jussi K. Huttunen & Jarmo Virtamo

  2. Finnish Cancer Registry Liisankatu 21 B, 00170, Helsinki, Finland

    Nea Malila

  3. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Philip R. Taylor & Demetrius Albanes

Authors
  1. Nea Malila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philip R. Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mikko J. Virtanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pasi Korhonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jussi K. Huttunen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Demetrius Albanes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jarmo Virtamo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Malila, N., Taylor, P.R., Virtanen, M.J. et al. Effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation on gastric cancer incidence in male smokers (ATBC Study, Finland). Cancer Causes Control 13, 617–623 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019556227014

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019556227014

Search

Navigation