A study has found that colon cancer patients who drink coffee have a higher survival rate and lower risk of recurrence. On January 27, the research team led by Professor Cho Jong-kwan from the East-West Cancer Center at Daejeon University Seoul Korean Medicine Hospital announced that they conducted an observational study on 5,442 colon cancer patients and identified an association between coffee consumption and long-term outcomes in these patients.
The research indicated a “dose-dependent relationship,” where an increase in daily coffee intake resulted in improved outcomes for colon cancer patients. Specifically, each additional cup of coffee consumed per day reduced the risk of death and recurrence by about 4%, with a consumption of three cups reducing the risk by approximately 12%.
The effects of coffee consumption were most pronounced in stage 3 colon cancer patients, showing a reduction in mortality risk by more than 40%. It was also noted that the survival rate improvement and recurrence risk reduction were associated with coffee regardless of caffeine content.
The research team explained that coffee contains various bioactive components, such as chlorogenic acid, polyphenols, and diterpenes, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This suggests that the positive effects of coffee are not attributed to its caffeine content alone but rather to the combined action of these bioactive components.
Professor Cho Jong-kwan mentioned that the study provides evidence to guide long-term survival management and lifestyle counseling for colon cancer patients. However, he indicated that further research is needed to establish a causal relationship between coffee consumption and patient outcomes.
The study, also involving Professor Son Chang-kyu and resident Kim Jun-yeol from Daejeon University, was published online in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) journal, “Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (CEBP).”