Lung Cancer and Vitamin Supplementation

To the Editor: A randomized nutritional-intervention trial similar in scope and size to the Finnish alpha-tocopherol and beta carotene trial1 has been completed in Linxian, China, an area with one of the world's highest rates of esophageal and stomach cancer and habitually low intake of several nutrients2. We have previously reported3 that among the nearly 30,000 male and female participants, rates of mortality from cancer were significantly lower (relative risk, 0.87) among those who received daily supplementation from 1986 to 1991 with a combination of beta carotene (15 mg), alpha-tocopherol (30 mg), and selenium (50 μg). In this population, . . .