US Pharm. 2010;35(10):HS-32. 

A study in Cancer Research by researchers at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. Even though the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are in question and remain controversial, the new research has shown a clear connection to formation of skin cancer in various laboratory studies. Ann Bode, professor in the institute's Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Section, led the research team on this study, along with colleagues Mun Kyung Hwang and Zigang Dong.