In March 2020 researchers from Chile and Spain published their review of the medical scientific literature to establish whether supplementations of vitamins and minerals, alone or in combination, reduce the risk of lung cancer and lung cancer mortality in healthy individuals. Of the 12 studies included in the review, six had assessed vitamin A, three vitamin C, three a combination of vitamin D3 and calcium, four vitamin E combined with other products, one selenium and nine a combination of two or more products. Four studies included only men and five only women. Results showed that vitamin A supplementation made little or no difference in the incidence of lung cancer except in smokers or asbestos workers when vitamin A was seen to increase the risk of lung cancer, lung cancer mortality and all-cause mortality (high-certainty evidence). Vitamin A was also seen to increase the risk of minor side effects, such as yellowing of the skin and minor gastrointestinal symptoms (high-certainty evidence). Vitamin C made little to no difference in the incidence of lung cancer (moderate-certainty evidence), except in women when vitamin C was seen to increase the risk of lung cancer (high-certainty evidence). In addition, Vitamin D and calcium may also result in little to no difference in risk of lung cancer in postmenopausal women (low-certainty evidence). Although vitamin E produced little to no difference in lung cancer incidence or to lung cancer mortality (high-certainty evidence), it was seen to increase the risk of haemorrhagic strokes (high-certainty evidence). Calcium resulted in little to no difference in lung cancer incidence in postmenopausal women or in risk of kidney stones (low-certainty evidence). Selenium in men results in little to no difference in lung cancer incidence and lung cancer mortality (high-certainty evidence) and increases the risk for grade 1 to 2 dermatitis (high-certainty evidence) and for alopecia (high-certainty evidence). The combination of vitamins A, C, E + selenium + zinc also results in little to no difference in lung cancer incidence (high-certainty evidence).
Cortés-Jofré M et al. Drugs for preventing lung cancer in healthy people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Mar 4;3:CD002141.