抄録
Many epidemiological and clinical studies have been conducted on the role of vitamin E in human cancers. Although the beneficial effects in many cases have not been conclusive, vitamin E exerted an inhibitory effect on cancer of the stomach 24, 37, Colon 40, 48, 49 lung21, 39, 42, 43 and uterine cervix44. These cancers have been demonstrated to require multiple gene-matations for their development 114-118.
Many experimental studies have also been conducted on the role of vitamin E in chemical carcinogenesis. The inhibitory Effect of vitamin E has been shown on skin, alimentary tract, liver, pancreas, mammary, lung, and prostate carcinogenesis. The involvement of the antioxidative action of vitamin E for the inhibition of carcinogensis was strongly suggested in the skin90, stomach88, 89, mammary gland73-75, and some cell lines94-97. In spite of this inhibitory effect of vitamin E on chemical carcinogenesis, the direct carcinogenic potential of vitamin E has been demonstrated in the forestomach18, liver17, and soft tissues19, 20. However, the ultimate carcinogenic structure of the vitamin E in this direct carcinogenesis remains to be elucidated.
