BACKGROUND.
The Physicians' Health Study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using a 2 ϫ 2 factorial design including supplementation with -carotene (50 mg every other day) in the primary prevention of cancer among 22,071 U.S. male physicians ages 40 -84 years at randomization. Before randomization, the authors collected baseline blood specimens to determine whether any benefit was greater among or confined to those with low baseline levels of -carotene.
METHODS.
Baseline blood samples were collected from 14,916 participants. These samples were assayed, according to a nested case-control design, from 1439 men subsequently diagnosed with cancer over 12 years of follow-up (631 with prostate carcinoma) and 2204 controls matched by age and smoking habits.
RESULTS.
Men in the lowest quartile for plasma -carotene at baseline had a marginally significant (P ϭ 0.07) increased risk of cancer compared with those in the highest quartile (relative risk [RR] ϭ 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 -1.74). Men in the lowest quartile assigned at random to -carotene supplementation had a possible but nonsignificant decrease in overall cancer risk (RR ϭ 0.83, 95% CI, 0.63-1.09) compared with those assigned to placebo. This was primarily due to a significant reduction in the risk of prostate carcinoma (RR ϭ 0.68, 95% CI, 0.46 -0.99) in this group. After the first 2 years of follow-up were excluded, the results were virtually unchanged.
CONCLUSIONS.
These prespecified subgroup analyses appeared to support the idea that -carotene supplementation may reduce risk of prostate carcinoma among those with low baseline levels. Further follow-up of this population will help determine whether these findings are valid.