Coffee and tea reduce the risk of head and neck cancer

An analysis of data from more than a dozen studies found that drinking coffee and tea was associated with a lower risk of developing head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and throat. The findings are published in the journal Cancer.

Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing in low- and middle-income countries. Many studies have examined whether drinking coffee or tea is associated with head and neck cancer, but the results have been conflicting.

To learn more, the researchers examined data from 14 studies conducted by different scientists from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, a collaboration of research groups around the world. Study participants completed questionnaires about their previous consumption of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea in cups per day/week/month/year.

When the researchers combined information on 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 patients from control groups without cancer, they found that compared to those who did not drink coffee, people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 17 percent less likely to develop head and neck cancer overall, 30 percent less likely to develop oral cancer, and 22 percent less likely to develop throat cancer.

Drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee reduced the risk of hypopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer in the lower throat) by 41%.

Drinking decaffeinated coffee reduced the risk of developing oral cancer by 25%. Tea consumption reduced the likelihood of developing hypopharyngeal cancer by 29%. In addition, drinking one cup of tea per day or less was associated with a 9 percent reduction in the risk of head and neck cancer overall and a 27 percent reduction in the risk of hypopharyngeal cancer, but drinking more than one cup was associated with a 38 percent increase in the likelihood of developing laryngeal cancer.

Biochemical studies have revealed that caffeine exhibits potent antioxidant activity in tissues. In general, coffee contains many important components (about 2 thousand compounds), including antioxidants, fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic, palmitic, etc.), chlorogenic acid, polyphenols, which slow down inflammation, thus preventing the development of cancer. Coffee polyphenols are able to reduce the intensity of inflammatory processes by 45%, having a pronounced protective effect.

“Although there have been previous studies on coffee and tea consumption and cancer risk reduction, this study shows their different effects on different head and neck cancer localizations, including the observation that even decaffeinated coffee has some beneficial effects,” said senior study author Yuan-Chin Amy Lee, PhD, of the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Coffee and tea consumption is quite versatile, and these results support the need for more data and further research on the effects of coffee and tea on reducing cancer risk.

Adatip Hospital TurkeyLeave a request

Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Turkey,IstanbulLeave a request

R.E. Kavetsky Institute of Experimental Pathology, Oncology and Radiobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Leave a request

Health Point World Clinic (Dr Soho & Health Point Clinic) Turkey,IstanbulLeave a request

Published: 27.12.2024

Updated: 26.12.2024

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak