A Phase 3 Randomized Trial of Nicotinamide for Skin-Cancer Chemoprevention.

Study answer

What this study found

Oral nicotinamide was safe and reduced new nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses during the 12-month treatment period, but the benefit was not maintained after treatment stopped. In the nicotinamide group, the mean number of new nonmelanoma skin cancers was 1.8 per person versus 2.4 with placebo, a 23% lower rate after adjustment for center and 5-year skin-cancer history (95% CI, 4 to 38; P = 0.02). Basal-cell carcinomas were 20% lower (95% CI, -6 to 39; P = 0.12), and squamous-cell carcinomas were 30% lower (95% CI, 0 to 51; P = 0.05). Actinic keratoses were also reduced at 3, 6,…

Study & population

Phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial in adults at high risk for nonmelanoma skin cancer, defined by having had at least two histologically confirmed nonmelanoma skin cancers in the prior five years.

Intervention

Oral nicotinamide 500 mg tablets twice daily for 12 months, compared with placebo.

Key limitation

The main benefit was limited to the active treatment period and was not maintained after stopping nicotinamide.

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Original abstract