MAASTRICHT, the Netherlands—Low selenium levels were linked to an increased risk of throat and stomach cancer in a study published in the journal Gastroenterology (10.1053/j.gastro.2009.12.004). Researchers form the Maastricht University Medical Center found an inverse association between toenail selenium and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA); and women who never smoked, were low antioxidant consumers and had low selenium levels had a higher esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).
They studied 120,852 men and women aged 55 to 69 years within the prospective Netherlands Cohort Study. In September 1986, the cohort members completed a questionnaire on risk factors for cancer and provided toenail clippings for determination of baseline selenium status. After 16.3 years of follow-up, 64 ESCC, 112 EAC and 114 GCA cases were found. The cancer-free controls numbered 2,072.
In multivariable analyses of selenium status, the researchers found an inverse association with ESCC (Incidence rate ratios (RR) per standard unit increment 0.80, 95 percent confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.96), and a borderline significant inverse association with GCA (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.80-1.02). No overall association was observed for EAC (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.95-1.15), but for women who never smoked and were low antioxidant consumers, significant inverse associations were found (RR per standard unit increment 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.84 and 0.74, 95% CI 0.64-0.86, respectively).