WEDNESDAY, Jan. 28, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals consuming an inflammation- and oxidation-promoting diet are more likely to develop skin cancer, with accelerated biological aging partially mediating the association, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in Cancers.

Shiqi Hui, from the Beijing Tongren Eye Center, and colleagues explored the associations of PhenoAge, dietary inflammatory index (DII), and dietary oxidative balance index (DOBS) with skin cancer risk. Data were included for 474 individuals aged older than 20 years with self-reported skin cancer and 16,154 individuals without skin cancer. The combination of DII/DOBS was classified as an inflammation- and oxidation-promoting diet, inflammation- and oxidation-reducing diet, and composite diet.

The researchers observed an association for PhenoAge, a measure of biological aging, with an increased likelihood of skin cancer (odds ratio, 1.07). DII and DOBS were associated with PhenoAge advancement, with odds ratios of 1.28 and 0.95, respectively. The comparison between the inflammation- and oxidation-promoting diet and the inflammation- and oxidation-reducing diet had a positive relationship with skin cancer after adjustment for all covariates (odds ratio, 2.19). The associations between DII/DOBS and skin cancer were partially mediated by PhenoAge (28.06 percent). In a subgroup analysis, the association persisted.

"The result of this study highlights the importance of dietary patterns and biological age in individuals with skin cancer," the authors write. "These results provide a foundation for developing hypotheses regarding specific characteristics and underlying mechanisms by which diet influences skin cancer, to be explored in future research."

Abstract/Full Text