New York: Increasing selenium levels may help to significantly reduce a woman’s risk of developing bladder cancer, according to new research from the American Association for Cancer Research

Researchers measured selenium levels in the toenails of 767 people with bladder cancer and 1,108 people without the disease. Whilst no link was found between selenium levels and bladder cancer risk for the population as a whole, the mineral did significantly reduce the risk of bladder cancer in certain groups of people – women, moderate smokers, and those with p53 positive cancer.

Lead researcher Margaret Karagas said: “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 chemopreventive efforts.”