Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world. It is also a leading cause of death for men and women. The leading cause of lung cancer is smoking. The more someone smokes and the longer someone smokes, the greater the likelihood of developing lung cancer. Multivitamins do not cause lung cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, people who smoke and take beta-carotene supplements may be at greater risk of developing lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Causes
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking. Avoid secondhand smoke and be wary if you work around fumes and dust, as this is another cause of lung cancer. When smokers are exposed to radon, a radioactive gas that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, this also increases your chance of getting lung cancer. People who work in mines may be exposed to radon, as it forms in soil and rocks. Exposure to asbestos may also cause lung cancer.
Multivitamins
The FDA does not monitor dietary supplements in the same manner as food products. Some vitamin supplements may contain different dosages other than what is advertised on the bottle. Vitamin supplements could become potentially harmful when taken in high dosages, which cause vitamins to become toxic in your body. It is not known whether vitamin toxicity increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
Beta-Carotene Research
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention, or ATBC, study, conducted by researchers at the National Public Health Institute in Finland and published in the July 2003 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," randomly assigned 29,000 male smoker participants to receive daily doses of beta-carotene, vitamin E, both or a placebo. The study was conducted from 1985 to 1993. A second large study, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial, or CARET, was published in the October 2004 issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute." In that trial, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute randomly assigned 18,000 American men and women who were smokers, former smokers or workers exposed to asbestos, to receive daily beta-carotene and vitamin A or a placebo. The ATBC study showed there was a 17 percent higher incidence of lung cancer among the participants who received beta-carotene than among nonrecipients after 6.1 years of follow up; the CARET study showed there was a 17 percent higher total mortality rate in the group that received supplementation compared to the group that received placebo after 4 years.
Vitamin A and Lung Cancer
Vitamin A, also called retinol, and beta-carotene are antioxidants that were thought to prevent carcinogens from damaging DNA and cells. Investigators conclude that the adverse health risks seen in the CARET study came from beta-carotene and not from vitamin A. Vitamin A does not cause lung cancer or increase lung cancer mortality rates.
References
- "Journal of American Medical Association"; Incidence of Cancer...; Jarmo Virtamo, M.D., et al.; July 2003
- "Journal of National Cancer Institute"; The Beta-Carotene...; Gary E. Goodman, et al.; October 2004
- National Cancer Institute: Risk Factors
- Food And Drug Administration: Lung Cancer
- MedlinePlus: Lung Cancer
- Office of Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know
