One side effect of the war against cancer has been the discovery of a much needed cure for acne. A small percentage of acne patients with severe and extensive cases show little response to currently available drugs and X rays. However, a chemical being tested as a cancer-preventing agent by the National Cancer Institute completely cleared the acne in 13 out of 14 cases of scarring, antibiotic-resistant, cystic acne.

Investigators were especially impressed that, 20 months after treatment, the skins of the patients remained clear. The experimental drug is 13-cis-retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, and the treatment seemed to work by inhibiting secretions of the skin's sebaceous glands. Because vitamin A can cause fetal abnormalities in animals, the treatment will not be used for women who may become pregnant. Long-term studies to determine its safety for others were expected to take about three years.