SERUM BETA-CAROTENE AND ANTIOXIDANT MICRONUTRIENTS IN CHILDREN WITH CANCER

Serum antioxidant vitamins A (retinol) and E (alpha-tocopherol), beta- carotene, zinc and selenium for 418 children with newly diagnosed mali gnancy were compared with those of 632 cancer-free controls. Incident cancer cases and controls were 1-16 years old and recruited in 1986-19 89. Age- and sex-adjusted serum concentrations of retinol, beta-carote ne and alpha-tocopherol were significantly inversely associated with c ancer. In similar models, the odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest wi th the lowest quintile was 2.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-3.0 2) for retinol, 3.87 (95% CI : 2.54-5.90) for beta-carotene, 2.15 (95% CI : 1.48-3.10) for alpha-tocopherol, 1.29 (95% CI : 0.75-2.23) for s elenium, and 1.94 (95% CI : 1.17-2.23) for zinc. The cancer sites that were associated with serum beta-carotene were, in general, leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system, bone and renal tumours. Moreover, l eukaemia was associated with low mean serum levels of retinol, seleniu m and zinc. Subjects with lymphoma, bone and renal tumours also had lo wer mean retinol and alpha-tocopherol levels than controls. Brain tumo ur patients had low vitamin E levels. Low serum values of antioxidant vitamins were associated with childhood neoplasm occurrence. Some site -specific effect was reported. Low peripheral nutrient levels are not considered as cancer promoters but rather as an impairment of the body 's defence mechanism occurring during the cancer-related metabolic and nutritional disturbances and inflammation processes.