Not all types of vitamin E fight lung cancer

Vitamin E or tocopherols exist in different forms.  A new study led by Rutgers University researchers suggests not all forms of tocopherols have the same protective effect against lung cancer.

The study led by C.S. Yang and colleagues subcutaneously injected lung cancer cells into mice and then fed the animals a diet with 0.17 percent or 0.3 percent of tocopherol for 49 days.

The researchers earlier demonstrated gamma-tocopherol-rich mixture effectively inhibited the development of colon cancer and lung cancer, and the growth of transplanted lung-cancer cells in laboratory mice.

In this study, the researchers found delta-tocopherol had the strongest preventative effect against lung cancer.  Gamma- and gamma-tocopherol-rich mixture also inhibited the tumor growth, but less effectively.

But alpha-tocopherol had no effect on lung cancer growth.

Delta-tocopherol also strongly reduced oxidative DNA damage and nitrotyrosone formation and boosted apoptosis in tumor cells or promoted deaths of cancer cells. Gamma-tocopherol had a less active effect on oxidative DNA damage and formation of nitrotyrosone while alpha-tocopherol had no effect.

Additionally, increased serum alpha -tocopherol decreased serum levels of gamma-tocopherol.

The study findings suggest that delta-tocopherol in high doses is more effective than gamma- or alpha-tocopeherols at inhibiting lung cancer growth.

Vitamin E has been known to prevent cardiovascular disease, cataracts and cancer. And it can also be used to treat disease like cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and cancer, according to Linus Pauling Institute.

The current study used high doses of vitamin E.   According to Linus Pauling Institute, it seems safe to use up to 2 grams of alpha-tocopherol daily for a few weeks to a few months. But it remains unknown how safe it is for people to use tocopherol in high doses for a long term.

Lung cancer is diagnosed in more than 222,000 people in the United States each year and the disease and implications kill 157,000 each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Lung cancer is lethal. The rate of new cancer diagnoses for men and women in the U.S. fell 0.8 percent each year between 2003 and 2007, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer published Thursday in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The report says, according to the American Cancer Society,  the rate of women drying from lung cancer is on the decline after decades of increases.

Even though smoking is a major risk for lung cancer, a healthy diet may help prevent the disease.  Studies have actually showed that omega-3 fatty acids in high daily doses may even help  cure certain types of lung cancer.

David Liu