[Chemoprevention possibilities of lung cancer]

Objective of the paper was to review the latest scientific reference data on chemoprevention possibilities of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Lithuania. The current lung cancer therapy includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. These interventions have not produced declines in mortality rates. This overview argues strongly for new approach for controlling this disease. Chemoprevention is the use of specific natural or synthetic substances with the objective of reversing, suppressing or preventing carcinogenic progression to invasive cancer. Whether primary, secondary or tertiary prevention has the potential to improve the dismal statistics associated with this cancer? Several randomized clinical or translational chemoprevention trials have been conducted. All have so far produced either neutral (using retinal, retinyl palmitate, N-acetyl cysteine or isotretinoin) or harmful (using beta-carotene) primary endpoint results showing that lung cancer was not prevented in smokers. Secondary results supporting treatment with isotretinoin in "never" and former smokers and data from prevention trials involving selenium and vitamin E, however, are encouraging and offer a promising direction for future clinical study.