Positive Health Online

Abstract

ZHU and co-workers, Department of Gastroenterology, The Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200011, China, report on the effect of folic acid on the development of stomach and other gastrointestinal cancers.

Background

The aim of the study was to evaluate the roles of folic acid and beta-carotene in the chemoprevention of gastrointestinal tumours.

Methodology

In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, 216 patients with atrophic gastritis were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) folic acid 20 mg per day for 2 years, supplemented with vitamin B12; (2) beta-carotene 30 mg per day for one year followed by 30 mg twice weekly for one year; (3) synthetic beta-carotene in the same dosage; (4) placebo. Follow-up continued from 1994 to 2001.

Results

A total of 7 new cancers were diagnosed in the follow-up period. Of these, 3 stomach cancers, 1 colon cancer and 1 oesophageal cancer were in the placebo group, and 1 stomach cancer each in the two beta-carotene groups. No new cancer was diagnosed in the folic acid group. This amounts to a significant reduction in the folic acid group compared to the placebo group with p = 0.04. Taken together, the three intervention groups display a highly significant decrease in occurrence of GI cancer. The folic acid group showed obvious improvements in gastric mucosal lesions, with more patients showing lesions reversed or stable atrophy and reversed intestinal metaplasia.

Conclusion

This trial shows a preventive effect of folic acid on gastrointestinal cancers. A similar effect of beta-carotene was also observed. In addition folic acid may be valuable in the treatment of atrophic gastritis.

References

Zhu S, Mason J, Shi Y, Hu Y, Li R, Wang M, Zhou Y, Jin G, Xie Y, Wu G, Xia D, Qian Z, Song H, Zhang L, Russell R, Xiao S. The effect of folic acid on the development of stomach and other gastrointestinal cancers. Chinese Medical Journal 116 (1): 15-19, Jan 2003.