Abstract
In 1980 beta-carotene (BC) and canthaxanthin (CX), carotenoids with and without pro-vitamin A activity, respectively, supplemented to female Swiss albino mice prevented at high extent benzo(a)pyrene (BP) — induced skin carcinogenesis in the dark and its photo-enhancement by UV (300–400 nm). The same experimental procedure adapted to 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) photoinduction of breast carcinoma in mice (in 1984), and to gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-MethylN’-N-Nitrosoguanidine (MMNG) in rats (in 1985) showed the same antitumorigenic activity. These data suggested a rationale for human interventions to prevent, with carotenoid supplementation, second primary malignancies, when the first one is radically treated (surgery ± chemo/radiotherapy) in such organs as the lung, urinary bladder, breast, stomach, and colon-rectum. A first clinical case-report of 15 cases of this type of chemoprevention attempted during 1980–1989, produced results that, though certainly preliminary, are extremely encouraging as regards current intervention with randomized methods. None of the 15 cases recruited, on the basis of radical nature of treatment and patient adherence, showed any recurrence beyond their expected disease-free intervals. Recently, twenty five women, 23–41 year old, suffering from cyclical mastalgia associated or otherwise with benign breast disease (BBD) were treated with daily 20 mg BC supplementation and intermittent administration of retinol (retinyl palmitate) 300,000 IU per day for seven days before each menstrual period. After six months’ treatment, the results revealed marked reduction in breast pain, and sometimes recovery, in 23–41 year old women with no toxic side effects, but healthy look because of a slight tanning of the skin. No such advantages in 5 older women with non-cyclical mastalgia treated as above were found. These data demonstrated a therapeutic synergism between BC and retinol, provided the above treatment scheme.
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Santamaria, L., Santamaria, A.B., dell’Orti, M. (1990). Carotenoids in Cancer Chemoprevention and Synergism with Retinol in Mastalgia Treatment. In: Prasad, K.N., Meyskens, F.L. (eds) Nutrients and Cancer Prevention. Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol 23. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4516-2_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4516-2_20
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