ADT is one of two organosulfur compounds that are being studied for their ability to stimulate the production of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens. ADT has been approved in Canada and Europe for the treatment of drug- and radiation-induced dryness of the mouth and other conditions. To examine the effectiveness of ADT as a chemopreventive agent in lung cancer, Stephen Lam, M.D., of the British Columbia Cancer Agency and the University of British Columbia, and his colleagues randomly assigned 112 current and former smokers with bronchial dysplasia to receive either ADT or a placebo for 6 months.

Compared with patients who received placebo, those who received ADT had a lower rate of progression by two or more grades of preexisting dysplastic lesions and a reduction in the appearance of new lesions. Side effects of ADT were minor and included gastrointestinal symptoms that subsided after dose reduction or completion of ADT treatment.

Vitamin B12 May be Effective Carrier of Anticancer Drug:
Vitamin B12, an essential micronutrient, is required by tumors in increased concentrations compared with normal tissue. Joseph A. Bauer, Ph.D., and Daniel J. Lindler, M.D., Ph.D., of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and their colleagues examined whether a vitamin B12 analogue could be used as a carrier molecule to direct a chemotherapy drug to tumor cells.

The authors attached nitric oxide, which is toxic when internalized by cells, to vitamin B12. When mice bearing human tumors were treated with this compound, the tumors regressed. However, when the mice
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Contact: Linda Wang
jncimedia@oupjournals.org
301-841-1287
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
2-Jul-2002