RT Journal
A1 Hoskote SS, Nadkarni GN, Fried ED
T1 PRostate cancer risk and vitamin e
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD February 1
VO 307
IS 5
SP 453
OP 454
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.55
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.55
AB 
The authors acknowledged that there is no current biological explanation for vitamin E to cause malignancy in the prostate gland. Therefore, other possible reasons for the finding should be sought. In a placebo-controlled trial, the results pertaining to a drug of interest are not truly absolute but measured as relative differences with a placebo, which is assumed to be a physiologically inert substance. A placebo should theoretically differ from the active drug only with respect to the active ingredient; however, considering the interplay of multiple factors such as excipients, bulking agents, stabilizers, dyes, and flavors, a perfect placebo is almost impossible to manufacture.2 Hence, it is important to disclose the content of the placebo in the study. If the placebo was an agent that was protective against prostate cancer, vitamin E may actually have no effect but appear to increase the risk in comparison. Reporting the content of placebos has been shown to be lacking in the majority of published studies.2 We hope that further research is carried out to discover the biological relationship between vitamin E, selenium, and prostate cancer.