| Caffeine, the chemical stimulant in
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| | were effective in lower tumor risk,
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| coffee and tea, has been found to lower
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| | caffeine has an advantage because it is
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| the risk of skin cancer in laboratory
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| | chemically more stable than EGCG.
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| mice.
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| | Unlike sun screen lotions, which protect
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| A study suggests that a skin lotion
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| | against skin cancer by preventing the
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| spiked with caffeine or with another
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| | skin from absorbing ultraviolet rays from
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| compound found in green tea can reduce by
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| | the sun, the caffeine's cancer protection
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| more than half the number of cancer
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| | works in the cells after exposure to the
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| tumors on the skin of hairless mice
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| | ultraviolet rays. Rays from the sun can
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| exposed to brutal levels of ultraviolet
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| | cause genetic changes in the skin that
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| radiation, said Dr. Allan Conney, a
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| | can lead to skin cancer. Conney said
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| professor of cancer and leukemia research
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| | caffeine apparently blocks this action by
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| at Rutgers University in New Brunswick,
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| | causing abnormal cells to kill
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| N.J.
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| | themselves, a type of programed cell
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| "We had between 50 to 70 percent tumor
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| | suicide that prevents development of
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| formation inhibition in the mice that
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| | abnormal growths.
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| were treated with caffeine or with EGCG
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| | "This is not a sunscreening effect," said
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| (the other chemical compound)," said
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| | Conney. "It is a biological effect."
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| Conney, senior author of a study
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| | He said the caffeine acts selectively,
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| appearing this week in the online site of
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| | causing the abnormal cells to die but not
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| the Proceedings of the National Academy
| |
| | affecting the normal cells.
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| of Sciences.
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| | Caffeine, heavily consumed in coffee, tea
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| Skin cancer is the most common of all
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| | and some cola drinks, has been shown in
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| cancers in the United States. The
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| | other studies to prompt mental alertness
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| American Academy of Dermatology estimates
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| | in many people. Some studies have
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| about a million cases will be diagnosed
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| | suggested caffeine aggravates symptoms of
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| in the country this year. Among them will
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| | menopause or intensifies the side effects
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| be more than 88,000 new cases of
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| | of some antibiotics. Heavy caffeine use
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| melanoma, the disease's deadliest form.
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| | has been linked to miscarriage. Some
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| Skin cancer generally is curable by
| |
| | studies also have suggested that some
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| cutting, burning or freezing the tumor
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| | people can become addicted to caffeine
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| cells, but untreated it can be deadly.
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| | and can experience headaches and other
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| To test effects of caffeine on skin
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| | symptoms when deprived of their morning
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| cancer, Conney and his colleagues exposed
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| | coffee or cola.
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| 90 mice to high levels of ultraviolet
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| | Dr. Darrell Rigell, a professor of
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| radiation twice a day for 20 days. They
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| | dermatology at New York University and an
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| used a strain of animals, called hairless
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| | expert spokesman for the American Academy
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| mice, commonly used for skin cancer
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| | of Dermatology, said research like
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| studies.
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| | Conney's is needed badly because "skin
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| After the mice got their UVB doses, the
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| | cancer is a major problem. I hope this
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| animals were divided into three groups.
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| | treatment can prove itself, because there
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| One group were slathered daily with a
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| | are more skin cancers than all other
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| solution of acetone and caffeine. Another
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| | cancers combined in the U.S."
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| group received acetone and EGCG. The
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| | He said there is a need for a
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| third group got skin applications of
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| | "morning-after" treatment for skin
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| acetone only. Acetone is an organic
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| | cancer, a therapy that would reduce
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| solution often used on the skin.
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| | cancer risk after excessive sun exposure.
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| At the end of 18 weeks, the three groups
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| | Rigell said that although hairless mice
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| of mice were killed, and the level of
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| | are commonly used for such research,
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| skin tumor formation was analyzed.
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| | "there is really no good animal model for
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| Conney said mice in all three groups
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| | skin cancer. The hairless mouse is the
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| developed malignant skin tumors, called
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| | best of a bunch of bad choices" for
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| squamous cell carcinomas, but the number
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| | testing skin cancer compounds in the
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| of tumors per mouse was reduced by 72
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| | laboratory.
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| percent in those treated with caffeine
| |
| | As a result, he said, "a lot of things
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| and by 66 percent among those treated
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| | that work in mice cannot be extrapolated
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| with EGCG, compared to the controls
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| | to humans."
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| treated only with acetone.
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| | He said other treatments that showed
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| The treated mice also had fewer
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| | promise in mice have often failed when
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| nonmalignant, sunlight-related tumors,
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| | tried on humans.
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| said Conney. Compared to the control
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| | Conney said the next step in studying the
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| group of mice, the mice treated with
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| | topical effects of caffeine will be to
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| caffeine had 44 percent fewer
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| | use the solution on people who are highly
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| nonmalignant tumors, the EGCG group 55
| |
| | susceptible to skin cancer - people who
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| percent fewer, he said.
| |
| | have a precancerous condition or who
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| Conney said that although both compounds
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| | already have had skin cancer.
|
