RELATIONSHIPS OF SERUM CAROTENOIDS, RETINOL, ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL, AND SELENIUM WITH BREAST-CANCER RISK - RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY IN COLUMBIA, MISSOURI (UNITED-STATES)

To evaluate relationships of serum carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, sele nium, and retinol with breast cancer prospectively, we conducted a cas e-control study nested in a cohort from the Breast Cancer Serum Bank i n Columbia, Missouri (United States), Women free of cancer donated blo od to this bank in 1977-87, During up to 9.5 years of follow-up (media n = 2.7 years), 105 cases of histologically confirmed breast cancer we re diagnosed, For each case, two women alive and free of cancer at the age of the case's diagnosis and matched on age and date of blood coll ection were selected as controls. A nonsignificant gradient of decreas ing risk of breast cancer with increasing serum beta-cryptoxanthin was apparent for all women, Serum lycopene also was associated inversely with risk, and among women who donated blood at least two years before diagnosis, a significant gradient of decreasing breast cancer risk wi th increasing lycopene concentration was evident, A marginally signifi cant gradient of decreasing risk with increasing serum lutein/zeaxanth in also was apparent among these women. We did not observe any evidenc e for protective effects of alpha- and beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol , retinol, or selenium for breast cancer. Results of this study sugges t that the carotenoids beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein/zeaxan thin may protect against breast cancer.