EADV Congress 2014

AMSTERDAM – One in five psoriasis patients lost more than 5% of baseline body weight while on oral apremilast for 52 weeks in the phase III ESTEEM 1 and ESTEEM 2 trials.

Patients taking apremilast not only experienced marked improvement in their psoriasis, but also much-needed weight loss, Dr. Kristian Reich observed in presenting the ESTEEM trials analysis at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

“You could see the weight loss in these studies as a side effect. But I think many of us would think that, in a psoriasis population with a mean baseline weight greater than 90 kg, that’s a very good thing to have,” said Dr. Reich of Dermatologikum Hamburg (Germany).

The mechanism for this weight loss remains unclear, Dr. Reich said. The important point is that it proved completely unrelated to the diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting that are common, albeit mild and transient, side effects associated with apremilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor. That is, patients who lost significant weight did not have an increased incidence of these GI adverse events. Nor was there any correlation between baseline body weight and weight loss on the drug, he added.

Apremilast (Otezla) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier in 2014 for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, and in late September for psoriasis, and is the only systemic psoriasis drug that requires no tuberculosis screening or laboratory monitoring. The drug also is being developed as a medication for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

The prospective ESTEEM I and II trials totaled 1,250 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and a mean baseline weight of 92.6 kg. They were initially randomized 2:1 to 16 weeks of double-blind apremilast at 30 mg twice daily or placebo. At 16 weeks, everyone was placed on apremilast 30 mg b.i.d. through week 32, when a randomized treatment withdrawal phase began that lasted through week 52.

The weight loss associated with apremilast was progressive. Patients continued to lose weight while taking the drug until approximately week 65 of therapy, when weight loss has plateaued in long-term extension studies.

At 16 weeks in the ESTEEM trials, patients on apremilast had a mean 1.51-kg weight loss compared to baseline, while the mean body weight in placebo-treated controls remained unchanged. Also at week 16, 13.7% of the apremilast group and 5.5% of controls demonstrated a greater than 5% weight reduction from baseline.

The 564 patients on apremilast for the full 52 weeks had a mean weight loss from baseline of 1.99 kg, and 19.2% of patients had a weight loss in excess of 5%.

“I would call a 2-kg weight loss over a 1-year period a moderate weight loss. But a greater than 5% weight loss is generally classified by experts as clinically meaningful,” Dr. Reich noted.

While weight loss increased with time on apremilast, the drug’s GI side effects peaked during the first 2 weeks of therapy and tailed off after the first month.

Weight loss in apremilast-treated patients did not lead to any overt medical sequelae. Only 0.2% of patients discontinued the drug because of weight loss.

The ESTEEM analysis showed no sign of any increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, malignancies, serious infections, depressive symptoms, or suicidality in apremilast-treated patients, according to Dr. Reich.

“This is a drug known for having a very good safety profile,” he said.

The ESTEEM trials were funded by Celgene, which markets apremilast. Dr. Reich reported receiving research grants from and serving as a consultant to the company.

[email protected]

AMSTERDAM – One in five psoriasis patients lost more than 5% of baseline body weight while on oral apremilast for 52 weeks in the phase III ESTEEM 1 and ESTEEM 2 trials.

Patients taking apremilast not only experienced marked improvement in their psoriasis, but also much-needed weight loss, Dr. Kristian Reich observed in presenting the ESTEEM trials analysis at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

“You could see the weight loss in these studies as a side effect. But I think many of us would think that, in a psoriasis population with a mean baseline weight greater than 90 kg, that’s a very good thing to have,” said Dr. Reich of Dermatologikum Hamburg (Germany).

The mechanism for this weight loss remains unclear, Dr. Reich said. The important point is that it proved completely unrelated to the diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting that are common, albeit mild and transient, side effects associated with apremilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor. That is, patients who lost significant weight did not have an increased incidence of these GI adverse events. Nor was there any correlation between baseline body weight and weight loss on the drug, he added.

Apremilast (Otezla) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier in 2014 for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, and in late September for psoriasis, and is the only systemic psoriasis drug that requires no tuberculosis screening or laboratory monitoring. The drug also is being developed as a medication for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

The prospective ESTEEM I and II trials totaled 1,250 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and a mean baseline weight of 92.6 kg. They were initially randomized 2:1 to 16 weeks of double-blind apremilast at 30 mg twice daily or placebo. At 16 weeks, everyone was placed on apremilast 30 mg b.i.d. through week 32, when a randomized treatment withdrawal phase began that lasted through week 52.

The weight loss associated with apremilast was progressive. Patients continued to lose weight while taking the drug until approximately week 65 of therapy, when weight loss has plateaued in long-term extension studies.

At 16 weeks in the ESTEEM trials, patients on apremilast had a mean 1.51-kg weight loss compared to baseline, while the mean body weight in placebo-treated controls remained unchanged. Also at week 16, 13.7% of the apremilast group and 5.5% of controls demonstrated a greater than 5% weight reduction from baseline.

The 564 patients on apremilast for the full 52 weeks had a mean weight loss from baseline of 1.99 kg, and 19.2% of patients had a weight loss in excess of 5%.

“I would call a 2-kg weight loss over a 1-year period a moderate weight loss. But a greater than 5% weight loss is generally classified by experts as clinically meaningful,” Dr. Reich noted.

While weight loss increased with time on apremilast, the drug’s GI side effects peaked during the first 2 weeks of therapy and tailed off after the first month.

Weight loss in apremilast-treated patients did not lead to any overt medical sequelae. Only 0.2% of patients discontinued the drug because of weight loss.

The ESTEEM analysis showed no sign of any increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, malignancies, serious infections, depressive symptoms, or suicidality in apremilast-treated patients, according to Dr. Reich.

“This is a drug known for having a very good safety profile,” he said.

The ESTEEM trials were funded by Celgene, which markets apremilast. Dr. Reich reported receiving research grants from and serving as a consultant to the company.

[email protected]

AMSTERDAM – One in five psoriasis patients lost more than 5% of baseline body weight while on oral apremilast for 52 weeks in the phase III ESTEEM 1 and ESTEEM 2 trials.

Patients taking apremilast not only experienced marked improvement in their psoriasis, but also much-needed weight loss, Dr. Kristian Reich observed in presenting the ESTEEM trials analysis at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

“You could see the weight loss in these studies as a side effect. But I think many of us would think that, in a psoriasis population with a mean baseline weight greater than 90 kg, that’s a very good thing to have,” said Dr. Reich of Dermatologikum Hamburg (Germany).

The mechanism for this weight loss remains unclear, Dr. Reich said. The important point is that it proved completely unrelated to the diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting that are common, albeit mild and transient, side effects associated with apremilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor. That is, patients who lost significant weight did not have an increased incidence of these GI adverse events. Nor was there any correlation between baseline body weight and weight loss on the drug, he added.

Apremilast (Otezla) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier in 2014 for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, and in late September for psoriasis, and is the only systemic psoriasis drug that requires no tuberculosis screening or laboratory monitoring. The drug also is being developed as a medication for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

The prospective ESTEEM I and II trials totaled 1,250 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and a mean baseline weight of 92.6 kg. They were initially randomized 2:1 to 16 weeks of double-blind apremilast at 30 mg twice daily or placebo. At 16 weeks, everyone was placed on apremilast 30 mg b.i.d. through week 32, when a randomized treatment withdrawal phase began that lasted through week 52.

The weight loss associated with apremilast was progressive. Patients continued to lose weight while taking the drug until approximately week 65 of therapy, when weight loss has plateaued in long-term extension studies.

At 16 weeks in the ESTEEM trials, patients on apremilast had a mean 1.51-kg weight loss compared to baseline, while the mean body weight in placebo-treated controls remained unchanged. Also at week 16, 13.7% of the apremilast group and 5.5% of controls demonstrated a greater than 5% weight reduction from baseline.

The 564 patients on apremilast for the full 52 weeks had a mean weight loss from baseline of 1.99 kg, and 19.2% of patients had a weight loss in excess of 5%.

“I would call a 2-kg weight loss over a 1-year period a moderate weight loss. But a greater than 5% weight loss is generally classified by experts as clinically meaningful,” Dr. Reich noted.

While weight loss increased with time on apremilast, the drug’s GI side effects peaked during the first 2 weeks of therapy and tailed off after the first month.

Weight loss in apremilast-treated patients did not lead to any overt medical sequelae. Only 0.2% of patients discontinued the drug because of weight loss.

The ESTEEM analysis showed no sign of any increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events, malignancies, serious infections, depressive symptoms, or suicidality in apremilast-treated patients, according to Dr. Reich.

“This is a drug known for having a very good safety profile,” he said.

The ESTEEM trials were funded by Celgene, which markets apremilast. Dr. Reich reported receiving research grants from and serving as a consultant to the company.

[email protected]

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

[email protected]

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

[email protected]

AMSTERDAM – Liberal coffee consumption was independently associated with a reduced risk of developing a second basal cell carcinoma in individuals who’ve already had a first in an analysis from the Rotterdam Study.

“This might seem surprising, but several recent studies done in both humans and mice have shown this protective effect as well. The mechanism behind it is still unclear, but we think that caffeine might help to prevent UV-induced carcinogenesis,” Dr. Joris Verkouteren said in presenting the Rotterdam Study findings at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Drinking more coffee was the only protective factor identified in the study. In a multivariate regression analysis, it was associated with a 30% reduction in the relative risk of developing at least a second BCC.

In contrast, two major predictors of increased likelihood of a second BCC emerged. The strongest was having more than one primary BCC at initial presentation, which carried an associated 2.5-fold increased risk. The other risk factor was older age at diagnosis of the first BCC, associated with a 60% increase in risk, reported Dr. Verkouteren of Ermasus University, Rotterdam.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of all malignancies. Roughly one-third of patients who present with a first one will develop a second BCC, most often within the next couple years. This makes BCC a logical target for secondary prevention measures. The purpose of this analysis of the Rotterdam Study was to identify factors to help physicians differentiate between patients who are likely to have just one primary BCC and those who will go on to develop multiple BCCs. This would aid clinicians in selecting patients for closer monitoring and in identifying good candidates for aggressive secondary prevention interventions, such as photodynamic therapy to address the field cancerization which results from lifetime exposure to UV, he explained.

The Rotterdam Study is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study started in 1989. This analysis included 14,976 Rotterdam residents, all at least age 45 years at entry, who have been evaluated by physican examination and detailed questionnaires every 3-4 years. Through linkage to the Dutch national histopathologic database, it was possible to identify all study participants diagnosed with BCC.

The 784 study participants who developed a first primary BCC were prospectively followed for a median of more than 4 years, during which 293 developed at least a second BCC.

Individuals who developed a second BCC at least 6 months after their first drank an average of 2 cups of joe daily, while those who did not have another BCC quaffed an average of 5 cups per day.

The median age at the time of diagnosis of a first BCC was 67.6 years in individuals who didn’t develop a second one, compared to 80.7 years in those who did.

A particularly noteworthy study finding, in Dr. Verkouteren’s view, was that many of the well-established risk factors for a first BCC were not significant predictors of a second one. A tendency to sunburn easily, light hair and eye color, male gender, smoking, a history of outdoor work -- none of these factors proved helpful in predicting which patients with a first BCC would develop another.

Dr. Tamar Nijsten, senior coinvestigator in the study, said that he is skeptical of Dr. Verkouteren’s assertion that the observed association between greater coffee consumption and reduced risk of a second BCC is probably due to a some intrinsic anti-carcinogenic effect of caffeine.

“There are people – and I am one of them – who believe that coffee consumption is associated with health status. So people who drink more coffee have, on average, a more healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Nijsten, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam.

Dr. Verkouteren and Dr. Nijsten reported having no financial conflicts regarding the Rotterdam Study.

[email protected]