Higher coffee consumption is linked with a lower risk of endometrial cancer, a type of cancer that begins in the lining of uterus, according to an analysis of relevant studies published to date. Also, caffeinated coffee may provide better protection than decaffeinated coffee.
The analysis, which appears in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, included 24 studies on coffee intake with 9,833 new cases of endometrial cancer occurring in 699,234 individuals. People in the highest category of coffee intake had a 29% lower relative risk of developing endometrial cancer than those in the lowest category.
The authors of the analysis highlight several mechanisms that have been associated with the potential anti-cancer effects of coffee. “Further studies with large sample size are needed… to obtain more information regarding the benefits of coffee drinking in relation to the risk of endometrial cancer,” they wrote.
Study details
Association between coffee drinking and endometrial cancer risk: A meta-analysis
Yu Gao,Peiling Zhai, Fang Jiang, Fushun Zhou,Xinbo Wang.
Published in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Research on 19 January 2022
Abstract
Aim
Coffee drinking is considered as a risk factor of endometrial cancer (EC). Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of observational study to evaluate the relationship between coffee drinking and the risk of EC.
Methods
The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched until July 2018. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model.
Results
A total of 24 studies (12 case–control and 12 cohort studies) on coffee intake with 9833 incident cases of EC and 699,234 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled RR of endometrial cancer for the highest versus the lowest categories of coffee intake was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.65–0.77; I2 = 14%, p for heterogeneity = 0.26). By study design, the pooled RRs were 0.68 (95% CI: 0.56–0.83) for case–control studies and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.63–0.77) for cohort studies. For different regions, the pooled RRs were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62–0.88) in Europe, 0.71 (95% CI: 0.64– 0.79) in United States/Canada, and 0.40 (95% CI: 0.28–0.57) in Japan. By additional subgroup analysis, a stronger inverse association was shown in caffeinated coffee drinkers (RR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52–0.83), individuals with the higher body mass index (BMI) (RR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54–0.79), never smokers (RR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.56–0.84), ever smokers (RR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.45–0.70), and those who never used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (RR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98). The consumption of filtered or boiled coffee showed no significant association.
Conclusions
Increased coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of EC.
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