Zinc supplements may improve survival in nonmetastatic prostate cancer

Postdiagnostic use of low-dose zinc supplement may help reduce the risk of lethal prostate cancer and all-cause mortality among patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, suggests a recent study.

A research team prospectively assessed postdiagnostic zinc supplementation in relation to prostate cancer survival in a total of 5,788 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2019).

Cox regression models were used to estimate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) of lethal prostate cancer (distant metastases or prostate cancer–specific death) and all-cause mortality according to postdiagnostic zinc supplement use and dosage.

Overall, 527 lethal prostate cancer events and 3,198 all-cause deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 11 years. Of the patients, 15 percent reported using zinc supplement following diagnosis.

Postdiagnostic zinc supplement use correlated suggestively with a reduced risk of lethal prostate cancer (HR, 0.82, 95 percent CI, 0.60‒1.13) and significantly with all-cause mortality (HR, 0.84, 95 percent CI, 0.74‒0.96) compared to nonuse.

The beneficial effect of zinc supplementation was most pronounced among men who used a dose of 1‒24 mg/d (lethal prostate cancer: HR, 0.55, 95 percent CI, 0.32‒0.96; all-cause mortality: HR, 0.77, 95 percent CI, 0.64‒0.93). In contrast, a higher dose was not associated with a lower risk.

“A potential benefit of low-dose postdiagnostic zinc supplement for prostate cancer survival merits further study,” the researchers said.

“Biological and experimental evidence support restoration of normal zinc levels in malignant prostate cells as a promising prostate cancer treatment,” they noted.