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