Coffee Drinkers Less Likely to Have Colon Cancer Recurrence

Coffee drinkers are far less likely to experience a recurrence of colon cancer, according to a major new observational study.

The study explored data from more than 1,700 patients with stage 1, 2 or 3 colorectal cancer (CRC) in The Netherlands.

After an approximately six-year median follow-up, coffee drinkers were reported to have a significantly lower rate of colon cancer recurrence, as well as a decreased incidence of death from any cause, compared to non coffee drinkers.

Published earlier this year in the International Journal of Cancer, the study adds to a mounting pile of evidence over the past decade suggesting that moderate coffee consumption can help stave off specific cancers — including cancers of the prostate, uterus and liver — as well as all-cause mortality.

Yet another study, led by researchers at Harvard and published in 2020, that found that coffee drinkers with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer had an 11% higher survival rate during the study period.

The new study found that people who drank more than four cups of coffee per day were nearly one-third (32%) less likely to experience a return in colon cancer following treatment than those who drank less than two cups over a 6.2-year period.

In examining all-cause mortality (death from any cause), the researchers led by a team at Wageningen University in The Netherlands found a U-shaped correlation, with 3-5 cups per day being the optimal range for preventing death.

“The association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality appeared nonlinear,” the researchers wrote. “More studies are needed to understand the mechanism by which coffee consumption might improve CRC prognosis.”