Selenium cancer-preventive agent

Combs JF and Lii J (2001) Selenium as a cancer preventive agent. In Hatfield DL ed., Selenium -its molecular biology and role in human health, pp. 205-217. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston-Dordrecht-London. 

Aromatic selenium compounds in cancer prevention were the first to be synthesized in the 1980s. The applicability of compounds 107-109 in tumor control has been demonstrated in some organs using animal models they are effective in both the initiation and post initiation phase. These organoselenium compounds are less toxic and chemopreventive than inorganoseleniums and natural organoseleniums, and can be the candidates for excellent chemopreventive agents for human cancers. 

Klein EA. Clinical models for testing chemopreventative agents in prostate cancer and overview of SELECT The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial. Recent Results Cancer Res 2003 163 212-225. 

Currently, one of the most promising agents for the prevention of lung cancer is selenium, which appeared to prevent the development of lung tumors in patients with skin cancer.15 This has not yet been shown in patients without preexisting skin cancer, although studies are underway. 

Additional agents, including selenium, folic acid, and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), show promise as chemopreventive agents in colon cancer, and preliminary and confirmatory studies evaluating their effectiveness have been completed or are ongoing, although none of these agents have been approved for the prevention of colon cancer.46... 

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