Tea, coffee, and caffeine and early-onset basal cell carcinoma in a case–control study

Abstract

Objectives Tea and coffee are hypothesized to play a protective role in skin carcinogenesis via bioactive components, such as caffeine, yet the epidemiologic evidence is mixed. Existing data supports an inverse association with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) more so than for melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma. To understand if tea, coffee, and caffeine are related to early-onset BCC, we evaluated data from 767 non-Hispanic Whites under age 40 in a case-control study in Connecticut. Methods BCC cases (n=377) were identified through Yale's Dermatopathology database. Controls (n=390) were randomly sampled from individuals in the same database with benign skin diagnoses and frequency matched to cases on age, gender, and biopsy site. Subjects completed an in-person interview including assessment of caffeinated coffee and hot tea. We calculated multivariate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with unconditional logistic regression for regular consumption and frequency and duration measures. Results Combined regular consumption of caffeinated coffee plus hot tea was inversely associated with early-onset BCC (OR=0.60, 95% CI=0.38–0.96). Those in the highest category of caffeine from these sources had a 43% reduced risk of BCC compared to non-consumers (OR=0.57, 95% CI=0.34–0.95, p-trend=0.037). Conclusions Our findings suggest a modest protective effect for caffeinated coffee plus tea in relation to early-onset BCC that may, in part, be due to caffeine. This study adds to the growing body of literature suggesting potential health benefits from these beverages.

Coffee provides a natural multitarget pharmacopeia against the hallmarks of cancer

“…The consumption of caffeinated coffee is more common than that of decaffeinated coffee; thus, data that demonstrate that the consumption of a special type of coffee confers an advantage are lacking, even though caffeine exerts anticancer activities, as discussed in this review. By comparing the effects of regular coffee consumption and decaffeinated coffee consumption, several clinical studies revealed that caffeinated coffee drinkers are at a lower risk of developing cancer, unlike decaffeinated coffee consumers (Ferrucci et al 2014;Giri et al 2011;Hildebrand et al 2013).…”

Higher Caffeinated Coffee Intake Is Associated with Reduced Malignant Melanoma Risk: A Meta-Analysis Study

“…However, the results for other studies found no such associations [ 12 – 14 ]. In contrast, several epidemiological studies have also evaluated the associations between the decaffeinated coffee and melanoma risk, but none of them found a statistically significant association [ 9 , 12 , 13 , 15 – 18 ]. As the results of the epidemiological studies are inconsistent, we herein systematically reviewed the epidemiological studies that have assessed the associations between the caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee intake level and the risks for MM, and further assessed their associations utilizing meta-analysis methods.…”

Inter‐Individual Variation in Cancer and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes in Response to Coffee Consumption: A Critical Review

“…After further evaluation, a total of 74 papers describing 8 intervention studies and 66 observational studies were eligible for inclusion in the qualitative analysis. Of these, 24 studies were related to cancer ( Table 1 ), [ 17–40 ] and 50 studies to cardiometabolic diseases ( Table 2 ). [ 41–90 ]…”