Selenium and its Relationship to Cancer
P. D. Whanger
Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
The statements "Selenium may reduce the risk of certain cancers" and "Selenium may produce anticarcinogenic effects in the body" are supported by scientific evidence. There is significant scientific agreement that daily supplementation with selenium may reduce the risk of some cancers and that selenium is anticarcinogenic. This report will examine epidemiological studies, human clinical trials, animal studies, and in vitro studies on selenium's relationship to cancer. It will examine the efficacy of different forms of selenium and of different levels of selenium supplementation.