B Vitamin May Help Ward Off Some Skin Cancers
Study found high-risk patients who took nicotinamide daily developed fewer non-melanoma lesions
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A cheap and readily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of some skin cancers, a new clinical trial indicates.
A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide appears to reduce non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, the Australian researchers reported.
"It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive and it's already widely commercially available," said senior study author Dr. Diona Damian, a professor of dermatology at the University of Sydney.
Nicotinamide costs less than $10 for a month's supply and is available at pharmacies and health food stores, she said.
However, more study is needed before researchers can say whether everyone would benefit from the supplement. "It's not something we'd recommend at this stage for the general population," Damian said.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with about 5 million cases treated every year at a cost of about $4.8 billion, Damian said.
Common skin cancers tend to grow slowly and can be cured if found and treated early, according to the American Cancer Society. These types of skin cancer include basal and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma, a more dangerous type of skin cancer, accounts for just 73,000 cases a year, according to the cancer society.
Ultraviolet rays from the sun cause most skin cancers by damaging the DNA of skin cells, Damian said.
UV radiation also hampers the body's ability to fight off cancer, depleting the energy that skin cells need to repair damaged DNA and profoundly suppressing the skin's immune system, she explained.
Earlier studies had indicated that nicotinamide can provide skin cells with an energy boost, enhancing DNA repair and strengthening the skin's immune system, Damian said.
To see whether this would help protect against skin cancer, researchers launched a clinical trial involving nearly 400 high-risk patients who'd had at least two non-melanoma skin cancers during the previous five years. Their average age was 66 and two-thirds were men. Many also had chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, high blood pressure, or heart or lung disease, according to the researchers.
B Vitamin May Help Ward Off Some Skin Cancers
Study found high-risk patients who took nicotinamide daily developed fewer non-melanoma lesions
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A cheap and readily available vitamin supplement appears to reduce a person's risk of some skin cancers, a new clinical trial indicates.
A form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide appears to reduce non-melanoma skin cancers by 23 percent when taken twice daily, the Australian researchers reported.
"It's safe, it's almost obscenely inexpensive and it's already widely commercially available," said senior study author Dr. Diona Damian, a professor of dermatology at the University of Sydney.
Nicotinamide costs less than $10 for a month's supply and is available at pharmacies and health food stores, she said.
However, more study is needed before researchers can say whether everyone would benefit from the supplement. "It's not something we'd recommend at this stage for the general population," Damian said.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with about 5 million cases treated every year at a cost of about $4.8 billion, Damian said.
Common skin cancers tend to grow slowly and can be cured if found and treated early, according to the American Cancer Society. These types of skin cancer include basal and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma, a more dangerous type of skin cancer, accounts for just 73,000 cases a year, according to the cancer society.
Ultraviolet rays from the sun cause most skin cancers by damaging the DNA of skin cells, Damian said.
UV radiation also hampers the body's ability to fight off cancer, depleting the energy that skin cells need to repair damaged DNA and profoundly suppressing the skin's immune system, she explained.
Earlier studies had indicated that nicotinamide can provide skin cells with an energy boost, enhancing DNA repair and strengthening the skin's immune system, Damian said.
To see whether this would help protect against skin cancer, researchers launched a clinical trial involving nearly 400 high-risk patients who'd had at least two non-melanoma skin cancers during the previous five years. Their average age was 66 and two-thirds were men. Many also had chronic health conditions, such as arthritis, high blood pressure, or heart or lung disease, according to the researchers.
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