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Caffeine intake and risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin in an 11-year prospective study

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Abstract

Purpose

Caffeine may repair skin damage induced by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between caffeine intake and incidence of basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We also assessed the associations between coffee consumption and incidence of these skin cancers.

Methods

Caffeine intake and consumption of coffee were estimated from food frequency questionnaires assessed in 1992, 1994, and 1996 among 1,325 randomly selected adult residents of a subtropical Australian community. All histologically confirmed tumours of BCC and SCC occurring between 1997 and 2007 were recorded. Associations with BCC and SCC were assessed using Poisson and negative binomial regression models and were adjusted for confounders including skin type and indicators of past sun exposure.

Results

There was no association between total caffeine intake and incidence of BCC or SCC. Participants with prior skin cancers, however, had a 25 % lower risk of BCC if they were in the highest tertile of total caffeine intake (equivalent to daily consumption of four cups of regular coffee) compared with the lowest tertile (multivariable RR 0.75; 95 % CI 0.57–0.97, P trend = 0.025). There was no dose–response relationship with SCC. Consumption of neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated coffee was associated with BCC or SCC.

Conclusions

Among people with prior skin cancers, a relatively high caffeine intake may help prevent subsequent BCC development. However, caffeine intake appears not to influence the risk of SCC.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) (data collection and analysis) with a contribution from L’Oreal Recherche (part of data collection). ACG was partly supported by a fellowship from the Medical Research Council, UK (No. 89912).

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer and Population Studies Group, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Kyoko Miura, Maria Celia B. Hughes & Adèle C. Green

  2. Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Adèle C. Green

  3. School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Jolieke C. van der Pols

Authors
  1. Kyoko Miura
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  2. Maria Celia B. Hughes
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  3. Adèle C. Green
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  4. Jolieke C. van der Pols
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Correspondence to Kyoko Miura.

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Miura, K., Hughes, M.C.B., Green, A.C. et al. Caffeine intake and risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin in an 11-year prospective study. Eur J Nutr 53, 511–520 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0556-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0556-0

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