New studies say green tea may be a promising remedy for treating melanoma.
by Stacy D. Tompkins, M.D.
Theres no doubt that melanoma is an epidemic in our nation, and with rising rates of tanning bed use, the concerns over skin cancer have escalated among medical experts. In a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),melanoma rates in the Unites States have increased tremendously among young women between the ages 18 and 21 with frequent tanning bed use to blame.
And although the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorized indoor tanning as a carcinogen in 2009, many young women an estimated 28 million still flock to tanning salons every year. Indoor UV tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. Frequent tanners using the newer high-pressure lamps may get as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to what they get from natural sun.
It comes as no surprise then to learn that dermatologists in San Diego recommend avoiding tanning salons and the regular use of daily sunscreen with a high SPF factor to combat the effects of sun damage and reduce the risk for melanoma.
But for those already diagnosed with melanoma, there may be up-and-coming research that gives us hope for those already fighting the battle with skin cancer.
Green tea to treat melanoma?
We already know about the positive health effects of green tea, but a recent study points to another groundbreaking benefit. A chemical known asepigallocatechingallate (EGCg),an extract derived from green tea, may help treat two types of skin cancer.
Researchers focused on the treatment of two different types of skin cancers, epidermoid carcinoma and melanoma, including the potential treatment that EGCg may have on both types of cancers. Epidermoid carcinoma is characterized by scale-like formations on the surface of the skin, while melanoma often develops as unevenly-colored, abnormally-shaped growths on the skin.
According to The Huffington Post, scientists at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow found that not only does EGCghelp to shrink or remove two-thirds of cancerous cells, it also has no known side effects on other cells or tissues. Originally published in the medical journal Nanomedicine, scientists created a cell with EGCg and transferrin (a naturally occurring protein that binds to the surface of cancer cells), and applied it directly to tumours. In both studies, 40% of tumours vanished; 30% of tumours in epidermoid carcinoma cases shrank considerably; and 20% of melanoma cases dwindled following the green tea treatment.
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Rising melanoma rates in young women: can green tea really help?