By Nicole Chiu - Contributing Health Journalist

For women, moderate smokers or persons with the p53 gene, eating larger amounts of nuts and grains containing the trace mineral selenium may be able to prevent the evolution of bladder cancer in their bodies.

In the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research, one of the publications by the American Association for Cancer Research, a study reveals that selenium levels in dietary intake may be a key ingredient in the prevention of bladder cancer.  
Led by researchers from the Dartmouth Medical School, the study compared selenium levels of 767 individuals who were newly diagnosed with bladder cancer, and 1,108 individuals from the general population. The data revealed an inverse association between selenium and p53 positive bladder cancer, as well as bladder cancer amongst women and some smokers.

In the general population, there was no inverse association between selenium and bladder cancer. Yet for the identified groups above, there were significant reductions in bladder cancer with increasing rates of selenium. For women the reduction was 34 percent; modern smokers were 39 percent, and p53 positive cancer the reduction was 43 percent.

Although bladder cancer evolution may have a variety of causes and risk factors, research has shown that one of the more significant links towards development may be the p53 gene. Margaret Karagas, Ph.D., professor of community and family medicine of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth, a corresponding author for the study, also revealed that bladder cancer stemming from p53 have been associated with “more advanced diseases.”

Other studies had shown associations between selenium and bladder cancer amongst women, yet this study has been the first to show the association between selenium and p53 positive bladder cancer.

"Ultimately, if it is true that selenium can prevent a certain subset of individuals, like women, from developing bladder cancer, or prevent certain types of tumors, such as those evolving through the p53 pathway, from developing, it gives us clues about how the tumors could be prevented in the future and potentially lead to chemo preventive efforts," said Karagas.

Further research is to be conducted by Karagas towards larger population samples in order to fully support this recent study’s findings.

Eating nuts and grains has been found in studies to be a preventative factor for other kinds of cancer as well, such as colorectal cancer and small intestinal cancer.