Clinical trial NCT00007631: Determine the Efficacy of Topical Tretinoin Cream for the Prevention of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
Official title: CSP #402 - VA Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Carcinoma, Basal Cell
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Skin Neoplasms
Keywords: NMSC
nonmelanoma skin cancer
topical tretinoin cream
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
Collaborators: name: Ortho Dermatologics
First posted: 2001-01-01
Enrollment: 1131
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: One-third of all malignancies in the United States (approximately one million cases diagnosed annually) are nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). NMSC causes considerable morbidity, economic burden, facial deformity and at least 1,000 deaths annually. Prevention of these malignancies with a topical agent free of serious side effects would confer substantial public health benefit. Three hundred fifty thousand veterans were expected to develop NMSC in 1994. NMSC is one of the most common conditions requiring dermatologic care in the VA system. Topical tretinoin has been used extensively to treat photoaged skin. Retinoids administered orally in high doses appear to be effective in chemoprevention of nonmelanoma skin cancer but have unacceptable toxicity. In this study, 1131 patients with a recent history of squamous cell and/or basal cell carcinoma were enrolled at six participating centers over a four-year period and were randomly assigned to either 0.1% tretinoin cream or placebo. They were followed for a minimum of two years to determine if topical tretinoin is effective in reducing the risk of new occurrences.

Detailed description: Primary Hypothesis: To determine the efficacy of topical tretinoin cream for the prevention of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) among high risk individuals (at least 2 NMSC?S in last 5 years).

Secondary Hypothesis: Secondary objectives are: (a) to determine the long-term effect of topical tretinoin on the prevalence of premalignant actinic keratoses, and (b) to distinguish subpopulations in which topical tretinoin is particularly effective or ineffective, compared to the overall study population.

Intervention: Apply Tretinoin 0.1% cream or placebo cream to face and ears twice a day.

Primary Outcomes: New NMSC lesions on the face and ears. Number of actinic keratoses on the face and ears.

Study Abstract: One-third of all malignancies in the United States (approximately one million cases diagnosed annually) are nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). NMSC causes considerable morbidity, economic burden, facial deformity and at least 1,000 deaths annually. Prevention of these malignancies with a topical agent free of serious side effects would confer substantial public health benefit. Three hundred fifty thousand veterans were expected to develop NMSC in 1994. NMSC is one of the most common conditions requiring dermatologic care in the VA system.

Topical tretinoin has been used extensively to treat photoaged skin. Retinoids administered orally in high doses appear to be effective in chemoprevention of nonmelanoma skin cancer but have unacceptable toxicity. In this study, 1200 patients with a recent history of squamous cell and/or basal cell carcinoma will be enrolled at six participating centers over a four-year period and will be randomly assigned to either 0.1% tretinoin cream or placebo. They will be followed for a minimum of two years to determine if topical tretinoin is effective in reducing the risk of new occurrences.

Weinstock, M.A., Bingham, S.F., Cole, G.W., Eilers, D., Naylor, M.F., Kalivas, J., Taylor, J.R., Gladstone, H.B., Piacquadio, D.J., and DiGiovanna, J.J. Reliability of Counting Actinic Keratoses Before and After Brief Consensus Discussion. Arch Dermatol 137:1055-1058, 2001

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

High risk individuals (at least 2 NMSC?S in last 5 years).

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria would include systemic retinoid treatment or systemic chemotherapy within the past six months; indices of very high mortality risk within 3 years (history of invasive noncutaneous malignancy within the past five years or metastatic cutaneous malignancy, or of other severe medical problems e.g. end-stage cardiac disease); known allergy or severe irritation reaction to tretinoin or the cream vehicle; special conditions predisposing to NMSC that may not be generally applicable (xeroderma pigmentosum, basal cell nevus syndrome, major organ transplant recipient, known arsenic exposure, PUVA photochemotherapy, mycosis fungoides, or prior or current radiation therapy involving the face, ears, or area of prior skin cancer), and likely inability to comply with the requirements of the trial as judged by the investigator. Incompetent patients and pregnant or nursing patients will be excluded

Primary outcomes:
measure: Long term effect of topical tretinoin on the prevalence of premalignant actinic keratoses
timeFrame: until the end of the study for a minimum of 2 years
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Phoenix
country: United States
facility: Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center
state: Arizona
city: Long Beach
country: United States
facility: VA Medical Center, Long Beach
state: California
city: Miami
country: United States
facility: VA Medical Center, Miami
state: Florida
city: Hines
country: United States
facility: Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
state: Illinois
city: Durham
country: United States
facility: VA Medical Center, Durham
state: North Carolina
city: Oklahoma City
country: United States
facility: VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City
state: Oklahoma
city: Providence
country: United States
facility: VA Medical Center, Providence
state: Rhode Island
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Medical Center, Providence
name: Martin A. Weinstock, MD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Weinstock MA, Bingham SF, Lew RA, Hall R, Eilers D, Kirsner R, Naylor M, Kalivas J, Cole G, Marcolivio K, Collins J, Digiovanna JJ, Vertrees JE; Veterans Affairs Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention (VATTC) Trial Group. Topical tretinoin therapy and all-cause mortality. Arch Dermatol. 2009 Jan;145(1):18-24. doi: 10.1001/archdermatol.2008.542.
citation: Dore DD, Lapane KL, Trivedi AN, Mor V, Weinstock MA. Association between statin use and risk for keratinocyte carcinoma in the veterans affairs topical tretinoin chemoprevention trial. Ann Intern Med. 2009 Jan 6;150(1):9-18. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-150-1-200901060-00004.