Nov 10, 2008 3:50 pm US/Central
Study: Caffeine Could Battle Skin Cancer
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (CBS) ―
More than a million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, making it the most common form of cancer in the United States.
But a new study shows that caffeine might help inhibit, and possibly even reverse, damage to skin caused by the sun.
"For some time, we've known that caffeine appears to be able to prevent skin cancer," said Dr. Paul Nghiem. "There's epidemiological data along those lines and the interesting more recent thing is that caffeine appears to be able to do that when you apply it topically."
Researcher Paul Nghiem and his colleagues studied the skin cells of mice damaged by ultra-violet rays.
They found that caffeine, when applied directly to the damaged skin, blocked pre-cancerous cells from dividing and becoming skin cancer.
"Caffeine, at least in mice and in cells, can reverse that damage in part by actually getting rid of the cells that are most damaged, so that more healthy cells can grow in," said Dr. Nghiem.
Researchers used caffeine mixed with a solution to treat the mice.
But in the future, it may just be easier to add caffeine to sunscreen for human use.
"It's very possible that ultimately it may make sense to put it into a sunscreen where it would be there to block the sun in the first place and then to help reverse the damage that does get through the sunscreen," said Dr. Nghiem.
Human studies will be required to show if caffeine can help prevent skin cancer in people, but for now, ordering that extra shot of caffeine might not be a bad idea.
Researchers don't believe caffeine would ever be an effective treatment for an established skin cancer.
The benefits are clearly in preventing damaged skin from becoming cancerous.
For general information on skin cancer and sun protection:
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
