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Tea consumption and basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer: Results of a case-control study

• Posted: 13 March 2007
• Categroy: Health Research Archive

Tea constituents, including polyphenols, are hypothesized to have chemopreventive properties, and inhibit the induction of skin cancers in animal models.

Abstract no: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007 Jan 26; [Epub ahead of print]

BACKGROUND: Tea constituents, including polyphenols, are hypothesized to have chemopreventive properties, and inhibit the induction of skin cancers in animal models. OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between regular tea consumption (>/=1 cup/d for >/=1 month) and the incidence of squamous cell (SCC) and basal cell (BCC) carcinomas. METHODS: A population-based case-control study of 770 individuals with BCC, 696 with SCC, and 715 age- and sex-matched control subjects. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, and lifetime history of painful sunburns, ever having consumed tea regularly was associated with a significantly lower risk of SCC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-0.92), especially among long-term drinkers (>/=47 years consumption: SCC, OR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.29-0.83; P for trend = .008) and among those consuming >/=2 cups/d (OR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.44-0.96; P for trend = 0.013). After adjustment for age and sex, ever having consumed tea regularly was weakly associated with BCC risk (OR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.63-0.98). LIMITATIONS: Our case-control study was susceptible to recall bias and to confounding by unknown cancer risk factors associated with tea consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the existence of an inverse association between tea consumption and skin carcinogenesis.

13th March, 2007

 

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