A new study conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University in the United States has shown that a form of Vitamin B3, known as nicotinamide, can reduce the risk of recurrent skin cancer by up to 54%.
اضافة اعلان
The average risk reduction was 14%, but for individuals who had experienced skin cancer only once, the risk reduction was significantly higher at 54%. Many dermatologists already recommend this dietary supplement to skin cancer patients, and the study suggests that the earlier it is used, the more effective it is.
The Importance of Nicotinamide in Preventing Skin Cancer Recurrence
Over the past decade, healthcare providers have advised people with a history of skin cancer to take nicotinamide, a form of Vitamin B3. The study confirmed that this supplement may lower the risk of developing new skin cancers.
Dr. Lee Willis, the study’s lead author, explained that the research showed a general preventive benefit of nicotinamide. Patients were categorized based on the number of previous skin cancer cases, and the researchers found:
“There was a much greater reduction in risk—over 50%—when nicotinamide treatment began after the first occurrence of skin cancer, compared with starting treatment later after multiple skin cancers.”
Study Details
The study involved nearly 34,000 skin cancer patients. Researchers examined outcomes for patients who took oral nicotinamide and were later diagnosed with skin cancer again, comparing 12,287 patients who received the supplement with 21,479 patients who did not.
Findings showed that patients who took 500 mg of nicotinamide twice daily for at least 30 days had a 14% lower risk of recurrence. Among those who started supplementation after their first skin cancer diagnosis, the risk dropped by 54%.
The greatest risk reduction was observed in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer.
How Does Vitamin B3 Prevent Skin Cancer Recurrence?
Nicotinamide is believed to help repair DNA damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and may counteract immune suppression from sun exposure. Since our skin is constantly exposed to UV rays, the body’s DNA repair mechanisms work overtime to keep up. Over time, small DNA mutations accumulate, which can lead to skin cancer. By enhancing DNA repair, nicotinamide slows down this accumulation.
This is likely why recent research shows a greater benefit when nicotinamide is taken after the first skin cancer diagnosis, compared to after multiple cancers have already developed.
