Selenium helps prevent p53 bladder cancer

A study published in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that selenium, a trace mineral found in grains, nuts and meats, may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer.

Researchers from Dartmouth Medical School compared levels of the mineral in 767 individuals newly-diagnosed with bladder cancer to those of 1,108 individuals from the general population. Findings showed an inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer among women, some smokers and those with p53-positive bladder cancer.

In the entire study population, there was no inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer, but women (34%), moderate smokers (39%) and those with p53 positive cancer (43%) had significant reductions in bladder cancer with higher rates of selenium.