Vitamin B Linked to Lung Cancer Risk in Men
Vitamin B supplements were associated with an increased risk for lung cancer in men, but not in women, according to the findings of a recent study.
In their study, the researchers analyzed data from 77,118 participants aged 50 to 76 years enrolled in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort. Participants’ 10-year average daily doses of individual and multivitamin supplements were assessed, and they were linked to a population-based cancer registry to determine the incidence of primary, invasive lung cancers.
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A total of 808 cases of primary, invasive lung cancers were identified in the VITAL cohort.
The use of supplemental vitamins B6, folate, and B12 was not associated with an increased risk for developing lung cancer among women. Conversely, individual vitamin supplements of B6 and B12 were associated with a 30% to 40% increased risk of lung cancer among men. However, multivitamins were not associated with this risk.
After the researchers evaluated participants’ 10-year average supplement doses, they found that men who consumed the most vitamin B6 and B12 supplements had an almost 2-fold increased risk for developing lung cancer compared with nonusers. This risk was even higher for men who reported smoking at baseline.
In addition, the associations between B6 and B12 vitamin supplements was apparent for all cancer histologic types, excluding adenocarcinoma.
“This sex- and source-specific association provides further evidence that vitamin B supplements are not chemopreventive for lung cancer and may be harmful,” the researchers concluded.
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
Brasky TM, White E, Chen CL. Long-term, supplemental, one-carbon metabolism–related vitamin B use in relation to lung cancer risk in the vitamins and lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort [published online before print August 22, 2017]. J Clin Onco. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2017.72.7735.