Don't take one bit of information and overreact -- there are many studies linking low serum Selenium levels with increased risk and severity of head and neck and other cancers, and conversely, other studies showing that Se supplementation during therapy increases the immune response and tumor-killing capabilities of your white blood cells. Why? Selenium is a "micronutrient" and a vital part of the glutathinone component of your immune system. Lack of Se has long been linked, for example, to increased rates and severity of prostate cancer (why men are told by almost every PC expert to take 200 mcg/day Se). Se can be obtained from food, such as nuts, but if you live in an area where soils are deficient this becomes more difficult. The entire US east coast, as well as large portions of the north- and midwest have Se-deficient soils where supplementation may be needed. However, NEVER take more than 200 mcg/day or you can risk Se poisoning which manifests itself first in nail, skin and hair problems.

Barry was taking 200 mcg/dy of Se because he had had one "iffy" prostate biopsy (none since, but...) His MO thought he should continue that through treatment and cited several studies.

Here is one important one, but if you do a google for "selenium and head and neck cancer" you will get a lot more.

Selenium and immunocompetence in patients with head and neck cancer.
Kiremidjian-Schumacher L, et al.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2000 Feb;73(2):97-111.

This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study aimed to determine whether oral intake of 200 microg/d of sodium selenite, a dose within the safe and adequate daily intake (50-200 microg/d) recommended by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, will abrogate depressed or enhance normal-level immune functions of patients receiving therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Subjects were given one selenium/placebo tablet/d for 8 wk, beginning on the day of their first treatment for the disease (e.g., surgery, radiation, or surgery and radiation) and their immune functions were monitored. Supplementation with selenium (Se) during therapy resulted in a significantly enhanced cell-mediated immune responsiveness, as reflected in the ability of the patient's lymphocytes to respond to stimulation with mitogen, to generate cytotoxic lymphocytes, and to destroy tumor cells. The enhanced responsiveness was evident during therapy and following conclusion of therapy. In contrast, patients in the placebo arm of the study showed a decline in immune responsiveness during therapy, which was followed, in some patients, by an enhancement, but the responses of the group remained significantly lower than baseline values. The data also show that at baseline, patients entered in the study had significantly lower plasma Se levels than healthy individuals, and patients in stage I or II of disease had significantly higher plasma selenium levels than patients in stage III or IV of disease.

Note two things : 1) The patients taking Se during therapy had better immune responses and 2) the patients with lowest Se serum levels (indicating they were deficient in this nutrient) had the worse cancers. The latter point is made in at least 3-4 other papers I "googled" a few minutes ago, similar results to the more numerous prostate cancer/Se studies.

Gail