CHEMOPREVENTION OF LUNG CANCER IN THE HIGH INCIDENCE AREA

Since 1984, mass screening for cancer and chemopreventive trials in the two high incidence areas of lung cancer have been carried out. Chemo preventive trials on the subjects having moderate or severe atypical hyperplasia cells in the sputum were done by treatment with R1 [N-(p-ethoxycarbophenyl) retinamide] and R2 [N-(p-carboxyphenyl) retina-mide]. Results showed that the general status of the patients had improved. IgA and IgM in the serum were increased and the arsenic skin lesions were relieved after the treatment with Rl and R2. The ratio of the incidence of lung cancer for the treated group and the control group was 1:4, and the mean degree of hyperplasia in the sputum had dropped. It is suggested that these drugs are both safe and effective in the chemoprevention of lung cancer.