Dietary supplement found effective for skin cancer prevention

The use of nicotinamide as a dietary supplement for skin cancer prevention has been a topic of interest among dermatologists since 2015. A clinical study conducted with 386 participants revealed that individuals who took the vitamin B3 derivative experienced a decrease in the development of new occurrences of skin cancer. However, the lack of data from larger study groups has hindered the validation of these findings, as nicotinamide can be purchased over the counter without being documented in patients’ medical records.

In a recent study published in JAMA Dermatology on September 17, researchers found a way to gather the necessary data by analyzing records from the Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse. Nicotinamide is included in the VA’s official formulary, allowing researchers to examine the outcomes of 33,833 patients who received treatment with 500 milligrams of nicotinamide twice daily for more than 30 days. The study focused on the occurrence of basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The results of the study revealed that there was a 14% reduction in skin cancer risk among the 12,287 patients who received nicotinamide compared to the 21,479 who did not. The risk reduction increased to 54% when nicotinamide was administered after the first skin cancer diagnosis, but the benefit decreased with subsequent skin cancers. The reduction in risk was more significant for squamous cell carcinoma.

Dr. Lee Wheless, the corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of Dermatology and Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, stated that the findings suggest a shift in practice towards initiating nicotinamide treatment earlier for skin cancer prevention. However, further research is needed to identify which patients will benefit the most, as only about half of patients are likely to develop multiple skin cancers.

Additionally, the study examined 1,334 immunocompromised patients who had received solid organ transplants. While no significant overall risk reduction was observed among solid organ transplant recipients, early use of nicotinamide was associated with a decrease in occurrences of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

The study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of nicotinamide in skin cancer prevention and highlights the importance of further research to determine optimal strategies for its use. The findings could lead to advancements in skin cancer prevention practices and benefit individuals at risk of developing skin cancer.

For more information on the study, you can refer to the article “Nicotinamide for Skin Cancer Chemoprevention” published in JAMA Dermatology. This study sheds light on the potential of nicotinamide as a preventive measure for skin cancer and underscores the need for continued research in this area.