What is the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study?
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study or ATBC Study was a chemoprevention trial conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Public Health Institute of Finland. The purpose of the study was to see if certain vitamin supplements would prevent lung cancer and other cancers in a group of 29,133 male smokers in Finland. The 50- to 69-year-old participants took a pill containing either 50 milligrams (mg) alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E), 20 mg beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), both, or a placebo (inactive pill that looked like the vitamin) daily for five to eight years. 2. What is a chemoprevention trial? A chemoprevention trial is a type of clinical trial, which is a research study conducted with people. In a cancer chemoprevention trial, natural or man-made substances are tested to see if they prevent cancer. The people who participate in such a study are healthy or are at risk of developing cancer, or in some studies, people who ha
