alpha-carotene and Carcinoma--Squamous-Cell

Carotenoids and tocopherols have been hypothesized to protect against cancer.. We prospectively evaluated associations of several carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol with risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer using serum collected at baseline from 302 subjects in the Isotretinoin-Basal Cell Carcinoma Prevention Trial. All subjects had at least two BCCs in the 5 years prior to randomization. During 5 years of follow-up, 70 subjects did not develop a nonmelanoma skin cancer, 221 developed a BCC, and 85 developed a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk ratios. Models were stratified by clinical center and gender and adjusted for age, solar damage, skin type, number of prior BCCs and/or SCCs, treatment group, body mass index, and serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol.. Risk of developing a subsequent BCC was not related to serum levels of any of the carotenoids measured or to alpha-tocopherol. Serum levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, and alpha-tocopherol also were not independently related to risk of a subsequent SCC. However, serum lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin were positively related to SCC risk; risk ratios for subjects in the highest versus lowest tertiles of these micronutrients were 1.63 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.88-3.01; P for trend = 0.01], 2.40 (95% CI 1.30-4.42; P for trend = 0.01), and 2.15 (95% CI 1.21-3.83; P for trend = 0.09), respectively.. Additional research is needed on the relationship of carotenoids to SCC risk in the general population and in subsets of the population who are at increased risk.

Topics: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; alpha-Tocopherol; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Carotenoids; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Probability; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Reference Values; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sex Distribution; Skin Neoplasms; Treatment Outcome

The aim of our study was to compare plasma carotenoids (i.e., biomarkers of fruits and vegetables intake) and tocopherols in 29 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with 51 healthy controls and to explore the possibility whether these plasma antioxidants could be related to outcome among patients. The patients' blood samples were taken at the end of radiotherapy. We observed that plasma lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, and total carotenoids were significantly lower in HNSCC patients than controls. Among the patients, 18 died and 11 were still alive during median follow-up of 55 mo for survivors. We found a significant positive association between postradiotherapy plasma carotenoids (lutein, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene) and progression-free survival in these patients. This study indicates that increasing postradiotherapy plasma carotenoid concentration may reduce risk of premature death or recurrence of tumor in HNSCC patients. Increasing plasma carotenoid concentration should be done by increasing intake of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, as other studies have shown either no or negative effects due to use of carotenoid supplements.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; beta Carotene; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Carotenoids; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Lutein; Male; Middle Aged; Tocopherols