Cancer Prevention Overview
HealthDay, a popular medical health digital magazine reported that the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute did a study of about 1,000 patients and found that “Those who drank coffee regularly had a better disease-free survival, meaning they had a lower rate of having their cancer recur or of dying.”
And another study published by the National Institute of Medicine reinforced the concept that drinking coffee is beneficial in helping to reduce the risk of other forms of cancer as well.
The Coffee Colon Factor
In addition, Dr. Charles Fuchs who helped lead the study said “But I do think it would be reasonable to conclude that it could be the caffeine in coffee that is affecting the colon cancer pathway. It’s just that for now we can’t say for sure. We need to confirm these findings in other patient populations.”
He added that patients who drank other caffeinated beverages like soda had “a poorer outcome,” and decaf coffee and tea did not produce the same benefits.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute stated, “Regular consumption of caffeinated coffee may help prevent the return of colon cancer after treatment and improve the chances of a cure.”
The New York Times reported that colon cancer patients who consumed higher volumes of coffee each day “had a far lower risk of dying or having their cancer return than those who did not drink coffee.”, referring to the same research. The study showed promise that “significant benefits” began with two or three daily cups of coffee, and patients who consumed four or more each day “had half the rate of recurrence or death than non-coffee drinkers.”
Additional reports stated that the scientists said until additional research is conducted, “people should not begin drinking coffee if they aren’t already java drinkers,” and those who do drink it should not increase their intake.