Recent Advances in Clinical Research for Skin Cancer Chemoprevention

Abstract

Neoplasm arising from the keratinocytes or melanocytes in the skin is the most prevalent type of cancer in the United States and worldwide. Since ultraviolet (UV) radiation may be a causing factor for several types of skin cancer, effective strategies to manage skin cancer include preventive measures such as minimizing exposure to UV and applying sunscreens. However, the effect of sunscreen in reducing skin cancer incidence remains uncertain. An alternative approach to prevent skin cancer is chemoprevention, which is defined as using either natural products or synthetic compounds to inhibit, delay, or reverse the development of cancer. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of multiple pharmacological agents and dietary supplements. However, whether preclinical findings can be translated into clinical application is unknown. This review evaluates the state of recent clinical trials investigating chemopreventive agents focusing on skin cancer to compare the target populations, interventions, endpoints, and outcomes of these trials. The ClinicalTrials and PubMed databases were searched for their available literature using the key words “skin cancer” and “chemoprevention”. The objective of this review is to provide updated information on the effectiveness and side effects of promising chemopreventive agents in human subjects and to identify research gaps.