Dong does not know yet if the tea chemicals will inhibit melanoma, the least common but most deadly type of skin cancer. More studies are needed, he adds. Dong also acknowledges that there may be other cancer-promoting pathways in the skin that are inhibited by tea but says further investigation is needed to determine that.
Other researchers have previously demonstrated that drinking tea, particularly green tea, may be effective against skin cancer. They believe that this is mainly due to tea's high level of antioxidants, which destroy free radicals that are thought to damage a cell's DNA and trigger the cancer process. But Dong feels a topical application is likely to be a better approach than drinking tea.
"Drinking tea may help, but you'd have to drink a large amount to accumulate in the skin, perhaps as many as 10 cups a day. It's easier to concentrate it in a cream form, and it's probably more effective," says Dong.
There are some skin creams already on the market that contain tea compounds, Dong says. However, these products are unlikely to have undergone testing and are likely to contain non-uniform amounts of tea antioxidants, he adds.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with about a million new cases reported each year. People can reduce their risk by avoiding excessive sun exposure, avoiding sunlamps and tanning booths, and using a strong sunscreen.
Funding for this study was provided by the National Cancer Institute and the Hormel Foundation.
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8-Sep-2003