Can nicotinamide be used for the chemoprevention of skin cancer?

Nicotinamide has been widely promoted as a low-cost, safe chemopreventive agent for non-melanoma skin cancer. A recent large-scale retrospective study involving over 33,000 US veterans showed that the use of nicotinamide reduces the overall risk of skin cancer by 14% and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 22%, with earlier initiation yielding better results. However, the study methodology has limitations. Current evidence is insufficient to confirm the chemopreventive efficacy of nicotinamide. A cautious approach should be adopted before its widespread clinical application—for the time being, its effectiveness remains inconclusive.

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