title: Intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of skin cancer.
abstract: To investigate the associations between intake of antioxidant nutrients and risk of basal cell (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the skin, we carried out a prospective study among 1001 randomly selected adults living in an Australian community. Intake of antioxidants was estimated in 1996. Incident, histologically-confirmed BCC and SCC were recorded between 1996 and 2004. High dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin was associated with a reduced incidence of SCC in persons who had a history of skin cancer at baseline (highest versus lowest tertile, multivariable adjusted relative risk (RR)=0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-0.89; P for trend=0.02). In persons without a history of skin cancer at baseline, development of BCC was positively associated with intake of vitamins C and E from foods plus supplements (RR=3.1, 95% CI: 1.1-8.6; P for trend=0.03 and RR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.1-6.3; P for trend=0.02, respectively). In those with a skin cancer history at baseline, dietary intake in the second tertile for beta-carotene (multivariable adjusted RR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-4.1) and for vitamin E (multivariable adjusted RR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-3.9) was associated with increased BCC risk, with no trend, and similar results were seen in those with a specific history of BCC. These data suggest quite different associations between antioxidant intake and SCC compared with BCC, consistent with other evidence of their different causal pathways.
authors.affiliation: Cancer and Population Studies Group, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Mirjam M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Heinen
authors.forename: Maria Celia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Torukiri I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Ibiebele
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Adèle C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Jolieke C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van der Pols
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D012643:Selenium; D001205:Ascorbic Acid