New review shows potential of Vitamin B3 for preventing melanoma

A new review highlights the potential of nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) for preventing melanoma in high-risk individuals.

Nicotinamide can help reduce or reverse DNA damage, inflammation, and immunosuppression caused by ultraviolet radiation.

The cost of nicotinatimide is approximately $10 per month if taken at 1g per day as recommended. Randomized placebo controlled trials are now warranted to determine its efficacy and safety for melanoma prevention.

"Nicotinamide has been shown in a clinical trial—called ONTRAC—to reduce the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer in high-risk individuals and it would be worthwhile to determine whether it would also be useful for high-risk melanoma patients," said Dr. Gary Halliday, senior author of the Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine review.