Publication: Efficacy of Vitamin A in the Prevention of Locoregional Recurrence and Second Primaries in Head and Neck Cancer
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| Title | Efficacy of Vitamin A in the Prevention of Locoregional Recurrence and Second Primaries in Head and Neck Cancer |
| Topic | Vitamin A (beta-carotene) |
| Author | Jyothirmayi, R, Ramadas, K, Varghese, C, Jacob, R, Nair, M, Sankaranarayanan, R |
| Year | 1996 |
| Journal | European journal of cancer. |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0964-1955(96)00010-3 |
Author's Abstract The abstract and the information and conclusions contained therein were written by the authors of the publication.
| Chemoprevention with retinoids is currently an experimental approach to prevent local relapses and second primaries in treated head and neck cancer patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of vitamin A in preventing the above events in a randomised trial involving 106 head and neck cancer patients who had achieved complete regression of their disease with radiotherapy and/or surgery. They were randomised to receive retinyl palmitate (200,000 IU per week for 1 year) or placebo. 50 subjects on vitamin A and 43 on placebo completed 1 year supplementation; 49 in the former group and 42 in the latter could be evaluated over a 3 year period from the initiation of the study. One fifth (11/56) of patients in the vitamin A group and one tenth (5/50) in the placebo group had loco-regional recurrence. The frequency of recurrences in stage I patients in the vitamin A group was higher compared to the placebo group, although it was not statistically significant. No second primaries were observed in the vitamin A group; 2 patients in the placebo group had second primaries. No clinically obvious side effects were observed with vitamin A. The higher frequency of recurrences in the vitamin A group is of concern although it may be a chance finding given the small size of the trial. The effect on second primaries is consistent with other observations reported in literature. |
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