Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common type of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing in low- and middle-income countries. This type of tumor is also among the most frequently diagnosed in Spain, especially in men, according to the report ‘Cancer figures in Spain’ by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM).
Its incidence increases with age and especially affects people between 50 and 70 years old, but an increase in the number of cases is being seen in younger individuals, especially oropharyngeal cancers, due to infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). ), which is, along with tobacco and alcohol consumption, one of its main risk factors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States.
A good number of studies have investigated whether coffee or tea consumption has any relationship with this type of cancer, but the results have been inconsistent. Now, however, an analysis of data from 14 studies conducted by scientists associated with the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium – a global collaboration between research groups – has linked coffee and tea consumption with a lower risk of developing cancers. head and neck, including mouth and throat cancers. The findings have been published in the journal Cancer.
Benefits of drinking more than four cups of coffee a day
People who participated in these studies answered questionnaires indicating their previous consumption of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea, and specifying the amount in cups per day, week, month, or year. By combining data from 9,548 patients with head and neck cancer and 15,783 people without cancer, the researchers found that those who consumed more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 17% less likely to develop this type of cancer, a 30% less likely to suffer from cancer of the oral cavity and 22% less likely to develop throat cancer, compared to those who did not drink coffee.
Likewise, drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 41% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer located in the lower part of the throat). Consumption of decaffeinated coffee also provided benefits, as it was linked to a 25% lower chance of cancer in the oral cavity.
On the other hand, drinking tea was associated with a 29% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. Additionally, consuming one cup or less of tea per day was linked to a 9% lower chance of developing head and neck cancer overall and a 27% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer. However, drinking more than one cup daily was associated with a 38% greater chance of laryngeal cancer.
Drinking three to four cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 41% lower risk of hypopharyngeal cancer (a type of cancer located in the lower part of the throat)
The researchers conclude in their article that their findings support a reduced risk of head and neck cancer among coffee and tea drinkers, although “future studies are needed to address geographic differences in types of coffee and tea to improve our understanding.” Understanding the Association of Coffee and Tea and Global Head and Neck Cancer Risk.”
In the opinion of Josep Maria Borràs, scientific coordinator of the Cancer Strategy of the National Health System and director of the Catalan Oncology Plan, and as stated to SMC Spain: “The data increase the consistency of the observation of an inverse relationship between risk of head and neck cancer and coffee consumption. In this sense, I believe that this observation is the most solid and is for the main tumor locations, given the total sample of cases analyzed.”
The expert – who has not participated in the study – warns, however, that he does not consider it “recommended to drink coffee or tea to protect oneself from this type of tumors, but rather clearly say that there is no risk associated with this consumption and that consuming it may have some beneficial effect, but do not go further in the conclusion.”
