Positive Health Online

Abstract

HECKMAYR, Zentrum fur Pneumologie und Thoraxchirurgie Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf, m.heckmayr@gmx.net, has reviewed (68 references) studies on the chemoprevention of lung cancer. Abstract: Despite improvements in the early detection of lung tumours, deaths from this type of disease are increasing worldwide and the 5-year-survival rate still ranges below 10%. Chemoprevention offers the hope of interfering with the process of carcinogenesis at an early stage and to either prevent DNA damage or stop the proliferation of already existing pre-malignant cells. For bronchial carcinoma, chemoprevention means primarily cessation of smoking, but currently used procedures are not very efficient and many ex-smokers have an increased risk of acquiring a lung tumour over a prolonged period of time, thus necessitating secondary prevention. In the past 20 years, many details of the process of carcinogenesis have been revealed, and this knowledge has promoted the targeted use of chemopreventives. In addition to the 'classics', such as vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamins E, C and B12 as well as selenium, more recently new players have entered the field, such as retinoids, dithiols, cyclooxygenase inhibitors, epidermal growth factors and others. In addition, the introduction of biomarkers allows to monitor the process of carcinogenesis in its different stages and thereby offers the possibility of studying chemoprevention more rapidly and effectively. Thus it is to be expected that in the near future clinical studies on the effects on chemoprotective compounds will yield decisive data on their efficacy in chronic smokers as well as ex-smokers.

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References

Heckmayr M. Chemoprevention of lung cancer. A review about previous studies, results and future developments. Pneumologie 58(6): 408-15, Jun 2004.