Prevention of local relapses and new localisations of oral leukoplakias with the synthetic retinoid fenretinide (4-HPR). Preliminary results

This paper analyses preliminary results of a randomised chemoprevention trial in patients surgically treated for oral leukoplakia started in 1988 at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan with the synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR). To date 115 patients have been randomised, after surgical excision of oral leukoplakia, to receive 200 mg 4-HPR daily for 52 weeks versus no intervention. 80 patients completed the 1-year intervention, 41 in the control group and 39 in the 4-HPR group. During this period 12 local relapses or new lesions occurred in the control group and three in the 4-HPR group. Only 5 patients interrupted the intervention because of toxicity. No impaired dark adaptation was observed. It is concluded that 4-HPR is well tolerated and seems efficacious in preventing relapses and new localisations during the treatment period. This promising trend needs further confirmation.