QUB: Coffee Found To Lower Cancer Risk

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have found that coffee drinkers are at a lower risk of developing liver cancer.

According to the research, which was one of the largest studies of middle-aged individuals in the world with 471,779 participants, coffee drinkers are at a 50% reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, compared to those who do not drink coffee.

The study was carried out in the UK over 7.5 years, with the results published in the British Journal of Cancer earlier this year.

Coffee is one of the most commonly consumed beverages worldwide. Previous research has shown there are many health benefits of drinking coffee, which may be due to its high levels of antioxidants.

As local researchers investigated the risk of digestive cancers according to different types of coffee, the risk was found to be as low in people who drank mostly instant coffee.

Over three quarters of participants reported drinking coffee, and compared to those who didn't, drinkers were more likely to be older, male, from less deprived areas and have higher education levels. They were also more likely to be previous or current smokers, consume higher levels of alcohol, have high cholesterol and were less likely to have chronic conditions such as diabetes, cirrhosis, gallstones, and peptic ulcers compared with non-coffee drinkers.

After taking these factors into account, the researchers found that coffee drinkers were 50% less likely to develop HCC compared to those who did not drink coffee.

Lead author Kim Tu Tran, a postgraduate research student from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University Belfast, said: "People with a coffee-drinking habit could find keeping that habit going is good for their health. That is because coffee contains antioxidants and caffeine, which may protect against cancer.

"However, drinking coffee is not as protective against liver cancer as stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol or losing weight."

The findings for liver cancer are consistent with the evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund's report which concluded that there is 'probable' evidence to suggest that coffee drinking lowers the risk of liver cancer. The rates of liver cancer have risen by 60% in the UK in the last decade.

The Queen's University researchers also investigated other digestive cancers, such as bowel and stomach, but found no consistent links with coffee drinking.

Access to the UK Biobank data was funded by Cancer Research UK and Lead author Kim Tu Tran is supported by the Vietnam International Education Cooperation Department.



(JG/CM)