Coffee and Tea Consumption Linked to Lower Head and Neck Cancer Risks

A comprehensive analysis of data from multiple studies has revealed a potential connection between coffee and tea consumption and reduced risks of head and neck cancers. The research, published in CANCER, examined data from 14 studies involving 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 controls.

The findings suggest that individuals who consume more than four cups of caffeinated coffee daily have 17% lower odds of developing head and neck cancer overall, with even more significant reductions in specific cancer types. For instance, the odds of oral cavity cancer were 30% lower, and throat cancer odds were 22% lower among heavy coffee drinkers. Notably, consuming 3-4 cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 41% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer.

Decaffeinated coffee also showed promising results, with a 25% lower risk of oral cavity cancer. Tea consumption demonstrated mixed effects, with moderate intake linked to lower risks of certain cancers, but higher consumption associated with increased odds of laryngeal cancer.

“While there has been prior research on coffee and tea consumption and reduced risk of cancer, this study highlighted their varying effects with different sub-sites of head and neck cancer, including the observation that even decaffeinated coffee had some positive impact,” said senior author Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, PhD, of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah School of Medicine. “Coffee and tea habits are fairly complex, and these findings support the need for more data and further studies around the impact that coffee and tea can have on reducing cancer risk.”