June 22, 2010

Coffee Decreases Risk of Head & Neck Cancer

Researchers at University of Utah found that regular coffee drinkers who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 39 percent decreased risk of two types of head and neck cancer: oral cavity and pharynx cancers. In the study published in the journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, they found however, that coffee did not decrease the risk of laryngeal cancer. Coffee contains over 1,000 different chemical compounds, including cancer-fighting antioxidants, and it’s those antioxidants that may provide a “plausible explanation” for reducing the cancer risk.

However, patients should not take this study as an excuse to increase their coffee intake specifically to counteract known cancer-causing behaviors including smoking, drinking alcohol, and chewing tobacco.

Read a CNN report on this here.

Reference:
Coffee and Tea Intake and Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: Pooled Analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, June 22, 2010; 1055-9965.
Fauquier blog
Fauquier ENT

Dr. Christopher Chang is a private practice otolaryngology, head & neck surgeon specializing in the treatment of problems related to the ear, nose, and throat. Located in Warrenton, VA about 45 minutes west of Washington DC, he also provides inhalant allergy testing/treatment, hearing tests, and dispenses hearing aids.

1 comment:

Murat said...

Interesting article.

Is there no risk to drinking coffee?

Hot tea dirinking was emphasized as esophageal carcinoma risk factor formerly by Farhad Islami et al. (Tea drinking habits and oesophageal cancer in a high risk area in northern Iran: population based case-control study - BMJ 2009; 338 doi: 10.1136/bmj.b929)

Hot coffee drinking may have similar risks and it can lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease also.

Greetings.


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