Prostate Cancer: Coffee and Tea Association

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Janet L. Stanford, MPH, PhD Full Member, Research Professor Co-Head, Program in Prostate Cancer Research Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 1100 Fairview Ave. N. M4-B874 Seattle, WA 98109-1024Janet L. Stanford, MPH, PhD
Full Member, Research Professor
Co-Head, Program in Prostate Cancer Research
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N. M4-B874
Seattle, WA 98109-1024

 
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Stanford: The main finding from our research is that one or more cups of coffee per day is associated with a 56% to 59% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer recurrence or progression in men diagnosed with this common disease.  In our cohort of prostate cancer patients, 61% reported drinking at least one cup of coffee per day, with 14% reporting drinking 4 or more cups per day.  The lower risk for prostate cancer recurrence/progression observed in coffee drinkers, however, was seen even for those who consumed only one cup per day, suggesting that even modest intake of coffee may offer health benefits for prostate cancer patients.

MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Stanford: We did not know what to expect as few studies of coffee or tea in relation to prostate cancer outcomes have been published.  There is another recent study, however, that found a similar 60% reduction in risk for development of metastasis or prostate cancer-specific death in association with coffee consumption.  We also did not know how risk of prostate cancer recurrence/progression might vary according to the level of coffee intake.  Although we observed that risk declined with increasing number of cups of coffee per day, even prostate cancer patients who reported drinking one cup per day experienced over a 50% decline in their risk of having their prostate cancer come back or recur.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Stanford: More research is needed on the potential health benefits of coffee in prostate cancer patients, but for men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer our research suggests that coffee consumption (even 1 cup per day) may be of benefit in terms of reducing risk of having the cancer recur or progress.  Coffee contains a number of chemicals that may reduce cancer cell growth, increase cancer cell death, and have other chemopreventive activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Stanford: Future research based on larger prostate cancer patient cohorts with long-term follow-up for assessment of disease recurrence/progression and prostate cancer-specific mortality events and in which detailed coffee consumption is measured (amount and frequency of coffee consumption, caffeinated or uncaffeinated coffee use, method of coffee preparation used) could provide more support for this association.  In addition, more research into the chemopreventive activities of specific chemicals in coffee could be informative for advancing our understanding of potential mechanisms.

Citation:

Coffee and tea consumption in relation to prostate cancer prognosis.

Geybels MS, Neuhouser ML, Wright JL, Stott-Miller M, Stanford JL.

Department of Epidemiology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, [email protected].
Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Aug 2.
[Epub ahead of print]

Last Updated on March 19, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD