Role of Various Carotenoids in Lung Cancer Prevention

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Abstract
Consistent evidence suggests that high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. In accordance with the hypothesis that this association is due to β -carotene, a considerable part of the observational studies on the intake or serum concentration of β-carotene has reported an inverse association with lung cancer risk ( 1 ). Large intervention trials testing the effect of β-carotene supplementation that leads to high plasma β-carotene levels have, however, failed to confirm this hypothesis ( 2 , 3 ). In contrast, these studies suggested an increased risk for lung cancer among the individuals receiving β -carotene supplements. It is interesting that these intervention trials revealed an inverse association between baseline dietary intake and serum levels of β-carotene and subsequent occurrence of lung cancer. Thus, apparently some compounds, either β-carotene or other components highly associated with it, received at the dietary level may provide protection against lung cancer. The impact of carotenoids other than β-carotene on lung cancer risk has seldom been studied ( 4 , 5 ).