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Review
. 2013 Jul 9;109(1):1-7.
doi: 10.1038/bjc.2013.280. Epub 2013 Jun 4.

Cancer chemoprevention: a rapidly evolving field

W P Steward  1 , K Brown
Affiliations
Review

Cancer chemoprevention: a rapidly evolving field

W P Steward et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Cancer chemoprevention involves the chronic administration of a synthetic, natural or biological agent to reduce or delay the occurrence of malignancy. The potential value of this approach has been demonstrated with trials in breast, prostate and colon cancer. The paradigm for developing new chemopreventive agents has changed markedly in the last decade and now involves extensive preclinical mechanistic evaluation of agents before clinical trials are instituted and a focus on defining biomarkers of activity that can be used as early predictors of efficacy. This review will summarise the current status of the field of chemoprevention and highlight potential new developments.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Death rates* for cancer and heart disease for ages younger than 85, and 85 and older, 1975–2004. *Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population. National Center for Health Statistics.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stages in the preclinical and clinical development of potential chemoprevention agents..
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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