Published online Jun 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i6.943
Peer-review started: November 8, 2022
First decision: January 3, 2023
Revised: February 3, 2023
Accepted: April 7, 2023
Article in press: April 7, 2023
Published online: June 15, 2023
Processing time: 218 Days and 17.2 Hours
Pancreatic cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Research investigating effective management strategies for pancreatic cancer is ongoing. Vitamin E, consisting of both tocopherol and tocotrienol, has demonstrated debatable effects on pancreatic cancer cells. Therefore, this scoping review aims to summarize the effects of vitamin E on pancreatic cancer. In October 2022, a literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus since their inception. Original studies on the effects of vitamin E on pancreatic cancer, including cell cultures, animal models and human clinical trials, were considered for this review. The literature search found 75 articles on this topic, but only 24 articles met the inclusion criteria. The available evidence showed that vitamin E modulated proliferation, cell death, angiogenesis, metastasis and inflammation in pancreatic cancer cells. However, the safety and bioavailability concerns remain to be answered with more extensive preclinical and clinical studies. More in-depth analysis is necessary to investigate further the role of vitamin E in the management of pancreatic cancers.
Core Tip: Vitamin E is a natural bioactive agent found in a variety of foods. Our scoping review found that it inhibits pancreatic tumor progression, and modulates key pathways in carcinogenesis. Vitamin E might support the current pharmacological approach for treating pancreatic cancer. However, more studies are needed to investigate its safety and efficacy.