By David Liu, PHD

Monday Oct 1, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc supplements may help reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a study in the journal Gut.  Please be aware of the fillers and additives in any of these supplements when you decide which brands to buy and use.

The study led by University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK and colleagues showed that men and women in the highest three quartiles of all of vitamin C and E, selenium had a 64 percent reduced risk of pancreatic cancer compared to men in the lowest quartile.

A total of 23,658 who participants aged 40 to 74 years participated in the EPIC-Norfolk Study completed 7-day food diaries covering types of foods,  brands and portion sizes.   Nutrient intakes in those who were later diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were compared with those in men and women who were not diagnosed with the disease.

During a 10-year follow-up, 49 participants were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Those who had the highest intake of vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium were 67 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, compared to those who had the lowest intake.

For vitamin E and selenium with which there were threshold effect, those in quartile 2 to 4 (higher), compared to those in quartile 1 (lower) were 51 percent and 43  percent, respectively, less likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Highest intake of vitamin C was associated with 32 percent reduced risk for pancreatic cancer, but the association was not statistically significant, according to the report.

The researchers concluded "The results support measuring antioxidants in studies investigating the aetiology of pancreatic cancer. If the association is causal, 1 in 12 cancers might be prevented by avoiding the lowest intakes."

Pancreatic cancer may be the most lethal malignancy.   Only 6% of patients can ever live over five years of diagnosis to become a survivor, and one year pancreatic cancer survival rate is 25%.  And 80 % patients are expected to die or have metastatic disease in 10 and 6 months of diagnose, respectively.