ABSTRACT
LUNG CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION Numerous methods are available to help people to stop smoking. However smoking cessation programs have rather low success rates, and half of all lung cancers occur in people who have stopped smoking. Attention has therefore turned to chemoprevention as one potential means of reducing lung cancer incidence. According to fi eld cancerization and multi-step carcinogenesis concepts, in at-risk individuals, the entire broncho-alveolar epithelium is continuously exposed to inhaled carcinogens. A chemopreventive agent is able to reverse, suppress or prevent the malignant transformation induced by carcinogens. Since chemo prevention has had some success in breast and prostate cancer, it is fast emerging as an area of research in lung cancer, and the hunt is still on for active compounds with a favorable toxicity profi le that can be administered to persons who are at high risk of developing the disease. A number of compounds have been tested, but results so far have been disappointing: Beta-carotene and retinoids have even proven detrimental.1 The paper by Omenn2 comprehensively reviews past and ongoing lung caner chemoprevention trials.
