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The Selenium and Vitamin
E Cancer Prevention Trial, or SELECT is the largest-ever nationwide
prevention study for prostate cancer undertaken by the National
Cancer Institute (NCI). More than 32,000 men at over 400 sites
in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada will be recruited.
The University of Hawaii Minority-Based Clinical Oncology Program
located at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii is a one of the
sites selected to conduct this study.
Rationale
Prostate cancer is a major public health problem with nearly 200,000
new cases of prostate cancer and more than 30,000 prostate cancer
deaths each year in the United States. African-American men have
the highest risk of developing the disease, but all men are at risk.
Primary prevention of
prostate cancer through dietary supplementation is a promising strategy
to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this disease. Selenium
and vitamin E were chosen based on intriguing secondary analysis
of data from two prospective, randomized cancer prevention trials.
In a clinical trial conducted by Clark et al., prostate cancer incidence
was reduced by two-thirds among men receiving daily selenium supplementation(1).
In the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention
Study carried out in Finland, there was a one-third reduction in
prostate cancer incidence and a 40% reduction in prostate cancer
mortality in men randomized to receive vitamin E (2). A confirmatory
trial, SELECT, with prostate cancer incidence as one of the primary
endpoints is needed to substantiate these findings.
Objectives
The primary objective of SELECT is to assess the effect of selenium
and vitamin E on the incidence of prostate cancer diagnosed during
routine clinical practice. Secondary objectives include assessing
the impact of selenium and vitamin E on the incidence of lung and
colon cancer and on cancer-specific survival and overall survival.
Quality of life, evaluation of molecular and genetic markers of
cancer risk, other biomarkers, and measures of nutrient intake will
also be assessed.
Eligibility
SELECT will include healthy male participants, age 55 and older
(age 50 and older for African-American men) who have had a non-suspicious
DRE and a total PSA less than or equal to 4.0 ng/ml within 180 days
of randomization. Additional eligibility criteria may be obtained
by contacting the study site.
Participants will receive
either 200 mcg of selenium, 400 mg of vitamin E, both, or placebos
for up to 12 years. Blood samples and toenail clippings will be
requested from all participants.
For more information
in Hawaii, contact the Clinical Trials Unit, (808) 586-2979.
For information on study
sites outside of Hawaii, call the National Cancer Institute's
Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4- CANCER. In Canada, call
the Canadian Cancer Society's Cancer Information Service at 1-888-939-3333.
Or visit http://www.crab.org/select
on the Internet.