Niacin intake and skin cancer risk in US adults
What it found
In two large groups of US health professionals followed for over 20 years, higher total niacin intake was linked to a slightly lower risk of squamous cell skin cancer but not basal cell carcinoma or melanoma.
What they found
Studies in people
Squamous cell carcinoma
Higher total niacin intake was linked to a lower risk of squamous cell skin cancer. The link was stronger in women than in men.
Basal cell carcinoma
Total niacin intake was weakly linked to a slightly higher risk of basal cell skin cancer. Niacin from supplements was also weakly linked to a higher risk of this cancer.
Melanoma
There was no clear link between total niacin intake and melanoma overall. In men only, there was a weak link to a higher risk of melanoma.
Sun exposure factors
The links stayed similar when the researchers looked at sun exposure factors like blistering sunburns and time spent in sunlight.
Body location
The links were similar for squamous cell cancers and melanomas on body sites with higher and lower sun exposure.
What the authors conclude
“Our study supports a potential beneficial role of niacin intake in relation to SCC but not of BCC or melanoma.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that their study supports a potential beneficial role of niacin intake in relation to squamous cell carcinoma but not basal cell carcinoma or melanoma.
- They say further work is needed to confirm their findings and identify relevant mechanisms.
How it was done
A recent trial found that nicotinamide, a form of niacin, protected against skin cancer coming back. The authors wanted to see if usual niacin intake from food and supplements was linked to skin cancer risk in the general population.
They followed 72,308 women and 41,808 men for 24 to 26 years, asking about their diet and supplement use every few years. They recorded 23,256 basal cell carcinomas, 2,530 squamous cell carcinomas and 887 melanomas.
What it can’t tell you
- This study followed people over time and can show a link, but it cannot prove that niacin intake causes or prevents skin cancer.
- The people in the study were mostly Caucasian health professionals, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- The study could not rule out other factors that might affect skin cancer risk.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NCI NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA; Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea; Brown University, RI
The paper
- Title
- Niacin intake and risk of skin cancer in US women and men
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Park SM, Li T, Wu S, et al (2017). Niacin intake and risk of skin cancer in US women and men. International journal of cancer. doi:10.1002/ijc.30630Free full textPubMed 28152570DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error