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Cited by 482Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer StudiesSkin Protection and AgingHead and Neck Cancer Studies

A Clinical Trial of Beta Carotene to Prevent Basal-Cell and Squamous-Cell Cancers of the Skin

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Greenberg, E. Robert, Baron, John A., Stukel, Thérèse A., Stevens, Marguerite M., Mandel, Jack S., Spencer, Steven K., Elias, Peter M., Lowe, Nicholas +6 more·1990·New England Journal of Medicine
DOI 10.1056/nejm199009203231204
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Beta carotene has been associated with a decreased risk of human cancer in many studies employing dietary questionnaires or blood measurements, and it has had protective effects in some animal models of carcinogenesis. METHODS: We tested the possible cancer-preventing effects of beta carotene by randomly assigning 1805 patients who had had a recent nonmelanoma skin cancer to receive either 50 mg of beta carotene or placebo per day and by conducting annual skin examinations to determine the occurrence of new nonmelanoma skin cancer. RESULTS: Adherence to the prescribed treatment was good, and after one year the actively treated group's median plasma beta carotene level (3021 nmol per liter) was much higher than that of the control group (354 nmol per liter). After five years of follow-up, however, there was no difference between the groups in the rate of occurrence of the first new nonmelanoma skin cancer (relative rate, 1.05; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.91 to 1.22). In subgroup analyses, active treatment showed no efficacy either in the patients whose initial plasma beta carotene level was in the lowest quartile or in those who currently smoked. There was also no significant difference between treated and control groups in the mean number of new nonmelanoma skin cancers per patient-year. CONCLUSIONS: In persons with a previous nonmelanoma skin cancer, treatment with beta carotene does not reduce the occurrence of new skin cancers over a five-year period of treatment and observation.

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  • Treatment with β-carotene does not significantly reduce the occurrence of new skin cancers in persons with previous non-melanoma skin cancer.

    “In other research, treatment with β-carotene did not significantly reduce the occurrence of new skin cancers in persons with previous non-melanoma skin cancer [242].”

    From Bioactive Compounds for Skin Health: A Review (2021) · cites this paper as [242]

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [8]8. Shekelle RB, Lepper M, Liu S, et al. Dietary vitamin A and risk of cancer in the Western Electric study. Lancet 1981; 2:1186-90.
  2. [27]27. Robinson JK. Risk of developing another basal cell carcinoma: a 5-year prospective study. Cancer 1987; 60:118-20.
  3. [32]32. Mantel N. Evaluation of survival data and two new rank order statistics arising in its consideration,. Cancer Chemother Rep 1966; 50:163-70.
  4. [34]34. SAS Institute Ine. SUGI supplemental library user's guide, version 5 edition. Cary, N.C.: SAS Institute, 1986:437-65.
  5. [37]37. Scotto J, Fraumeni JF Jr. Skin (other than mclanoma). In: Schottenfeld D. Fraumeni JF Jr, eds. Cancer epidemiology and prevention. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1982:996-1011.

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Authors
Greenberg, E. R., Baron, J. A., Stukel, T. A., Stevens, M. M., Mandel, J. S., Spencer, S. K., Elias, P. M., Lowe, N., Nierenberg, D. W., Bayrd, G., Vance, J. C., Freeman, D. H., Clendenning, W. E., & Kwan, T.
Affiliations
  • Dartmouth College (US)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Publisher
Massachusetts Medical Society
Published
1990-09-20
Volume
323
Issue
12
Pages
789-795
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
DOI
10.1056/nejm199009203231204
OpenAlex
W2313686482
Cited by
482
References
35
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 21
FWCI
18.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5u01ca032934-10)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA-32934, CA 23 108, P30CA023108)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Skin Protection and Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Otorhinolaryngology › Head and Neck Cancer Studies
Keywords
beta-carotene, non-melanoma skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, cancer prevention, chemoprevention, smoking, medication adherence
MeSH terms
Aged, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Carotenoids, Drug Evaluation, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Patient Compliance, Recurrence, Skin Neoplasms, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, beta Carotene

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