Adjuvant treatment of stage I lung cancer with high-dose vitamin A.

Abstract

PURPOSEVitamin A and retinoids are strong inhibitors of epithelial cancer promotion and progression in experimental carcinogenesis. This study examined whether they may prevent the occurrence of upper aerodigestive cancer in subjects heavily exposed to tobacco smoking, such as patients already cured of an early-stage lung cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe adjuvant effect of high-dose vitamin A was tested on 307 patients with stage I non-small-cell lung cancer. After curative surgery, patients were randomly assigned to either a group prescribed retinol palmitate administration (orally 300,000 IU daily for 12 months) or a control group prescribed no treatment.RESULTSAfter a median follow-up of 46 months, the number of patients with either recurrence or new primary tumors was 56 (37%) in the treated arm and 75 (48%) in the control arm. Eighteen patients in the treated group developed a second primary tumor, and 29 patients in the control group developed 33 second primary tumors. A statistically significant diff...