WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands – 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, according to a study led by the Wageningen University & Research.
A team in which WUR researchers participated have reached this conclusion.
Previous research showed that coffee consumption reduced the risk of intestinal cancer. This study 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 1719 patients were questioned about their lifestyle, including the question of how much coffee they drank. The results show that patients who drink more than 4 cups a day have a 37 per cent lower chance of relapse than those who drink under 2 cups a day.
Moreover, the mortality rate was lowest among those who consumed between 3 and 5 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 per cent of this group, prompting extensive studies into the connection with nutrition and other lifestyle factors.
The research team was headed by Ellen Kampman, professor of Nutrition and Disease at Wageningen University & Research, and was supported by the World Cancer Research Fund.
