Treatment of oral leukoplakia with beta-carotene.

Abstract

Over the past few years, beta-carotene has progressively gained ground as a drug chosen in the treatment of oral leukoplakias, thus making it possible to reduce the use of 13-cis-retinoic acid, which was shown by many studies to be highly toxic while beta-carotene has proved to have no significant side effects and hence to be much more suitable in oral premalignancy. In 1989, a phase II study of patients showing oral leukoplakias and treated with beta-carotene (90 mg/day) was begun. A total of 23 patients (aged between 17 and 85) were included in the study and 18 (8 male and 10 female) were evaluated. Eight patients (44.4%) had objective responses (6 complete, 2 partial). Four CR and a PR appeared unexpectedly within 2-7 months after the end of the therapy. The lesions were macroscopically and histologically examined at entry; in the evaluated patients, two types of alterations were found: atypical hyperplasia (16 patients) and dysplasia (2 patients). No signs of significant toxicity were detected; only in 1 patient treatment had to be interrupted for 1 week. The results of this study show the fair efficacy of beta-carotene against oral leukoplakias, but further confirmations through controlled clinical studies are needed.

• Authors: S Toma, S Benso, E Albanese, R Palumbo, E Cantoni, G Nicolò, P Mangiante
• Journal: Oncology (Oncology) Vol. 49 Issue 2 Pg. 77-81 ( 1992) ISSN: 0030-2414 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 1574255 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• beta Carotene
• Carotenoids

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Carotenoids (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Drug Evaluation
• Female
• Humans
• Leukoplakia, Oral (drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Risk Factors
• Smoking
• beta Carotene