Coffee consumption associated with reduced mortality in people with colorectal cancer

There appears to be a significant link between the coffee intake of people with intestinal cancer and mortality, as well as the likelihood of the disease returning after remission. A team in which WUR researchers participated have reached this conclusion.

Previous research showed that coffee consumption reduced the risk of intestinal cancer. This new study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, investigated whether coffee also impacts the disease’s progression. The researchers compared coffee intake to the return of the disease after remission and the mortality among patients.

A total of 1,719 patients were questioned about their lifestyle, including the question of how much coffee they drank. The results show that patients who drink more than four cups a day have a 37% lower chance of relapse than those who drink less than two cups a day. Moreover, the mortality rate was lowest among those who consumed between three and five cups a day.

Some 12,000 people are diagnosed with intestinal cancer in the Netherlands each year, making it one of the most prevalent forms of cancer both in the Netherlands and abroad. Although life expectancy after a diagnosis is increasing, the cancer relapses in 20% to 30% of this group, prompting extensive studies into the connection with nutrition and other lifestyle factors.