Skin Cancer Prevention with Nicotinamide: A Promising Approach

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and protecting the skin from this disease poses a significant challenge in the medical community. In this context, an extensive study was conducted on the effectiveness of nicotinamide in reducing the risk of skin cancer by analyzing data from a large group of patients.

Expanding the Evidence Base: Challenges and Opportunities

Although previous studies indicated the effectiveness of nicotinamide in preventing skin cancer, these studies were limited to small patient groups. With nicotinamide available over the counter, documenting its use in medical records has become a major challenge. To overcome this hurdle, researchers relied on the official database of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, where nicotinamide is listed as an official medication.

Records of 33,833 veteran patients who received an initial treatment of 500 mg of nicotinamide twice daily for more than 30 days were reviewed. The researchers focused on tracking new diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell skin cancer.

Study Results: Significant Risk Reduction

Among the studied group, 12,287 patients took nicotinamide, while 21,479 did not. Researchers found an overall 14% reduction in the risk of skin cancer among nicotinamide users. For individuals who started taking the supplement after their first skin cancer occurrence, the risk reduction increased to 54%. However, this benefit decreased when treatment began after the development of multiple cancer cases. The strongest effect was observed on squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Early Application: A New Approach in Prevention Strategies

Dr. Lee Wells, an assistant professor of dermatology and medicine at Vanderbilt Medical Center, noted, “There are no specific guidelines on when to start nicotinamide treatment for skin cancer prevention in the general population.” He added, “These findings could lead to a change in our practices from starting treatment after multiple skin tumors develop to initiating it earlier.”

However, the main challenge remains identifying individuals who would truly benefit from taking nicotinamide, as only about half of the patients develop multiple skin cancers.

Research in Immunocompromised Patients

The study also included a group of 1,334 patients with weakened immune systems due to solid organ transplants. In this group, the risk reduction was not statistically significant, although early use of nicotinamide was associated with fewer cases of squamous cell skin cancer.

Conclusion

This study provides strong evidence that nicotinamide can be an effective tool in preventing skin cancer, especially when used in the early stages of risk exposure. However, much remains to be understood about individual differences in treatment response, particularly among immunocompromised groups. With ongoing research support, these findings could form the basis for developing more precise and effective prevention strategies in the future.