A Simple Vitamin Might Help Beat Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a big deal. It is the most common type of cancer in the U. S. But here's some good news: a simple vitamin might help fight it. Researchers looked at over 33, 800 U. S. veterans who had skin cancer. They found that those who took a vitamin B3 supplement, called nicotinamide, had fewer new skin cancer growths. This is a big deal because skin cancer can come back, and this supplement might help stop that. The study focused on two types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). These are the most common types of skin cancer. They usually show up on parts of the body that get a lot of sun, like the face, hands, and arms. The study showed that taking 500 mg of nicotinamide twice a day for at least a month cut the risk of new skin cancers by 14%. But the best results came when people started taking it right after their first skin cancer diagnosis. In those cases, the risk of new skin cancers dropped by 54%.The supplement worked best for cSCC, which can be more aggressive than BCC. The study also looked at people who had organ transplants, who are at a very high risk of skin cancer. While the supplement didn't lower their overall risk, it did reduce their chances of getting cSCC if they started taking it early. One of the best things about nicotinamide is that it is easy to get and doesn't have bad side effects like some other cancer-preventative medications. This makes it a simple and safe option for people who want to lower their risk of skin cancer. But there are still questions. Not everyone who takes nicotinamide will benefit from it. More research is needed to figure out who will get the most help from this supplement.