Caffeine can reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer

Except for mucinous tumors, smoking does not increase the incidence of ovarian cancer. Drinking alcohol does not increase the incidence of ovarian cancer, according to a new study published online on Jan. 18 in the journal Cancer. However, the researchers found that caffeine intake reduced the incidence of ovarian cancer, especially in women who had not previously used exogenous hormones.

The association between alterable factors such as smoking, caffeine intake, alcohol consumption and ovarian cancer is unclear. A variable analysis found that there was no overall correlation between smoking and the incidence of ovarian cancer, and the current incidence of mucinous tumors in smokers did not double. Other studies have suggested an increase in the incidence or mortality of various subtypes of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer in current and long-term smokers.

Dr. Shelley Tworoger, Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, said that there is solid evidence that smoking only increases the incidence of specific ovarian cancer subtypes such as mucous type, but because quitting smoking has many health benefits, it is important to encourage people to smoke. Previous studies have shown that there is a mild inverse correlation or no relationship between alcohol consumption and ovarian cancer. Some data suggest that caffeine reduces the incidence of ovarian cancer, although the relationship between the consumption of caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee and the incidence of ovarian cancer is contradictory.

Dr Tworoge and colleagues used data from the Nurses' Health study (NHS) to study the relationship between smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine intake and the incidence of ovarian cancer. In this prospective study, 110454 women were selected for smoking analysis and 80253 women for diet analysis. NHS began in 1976 and is followed up every two years. In 1980, he joined the food frequency questionnaire and managed it every 2-4 years. Using these data, the researchers found 737 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer in all subjects between 1976 and 2004. Of the respondents to food papers in 1980, there were 507 cases of cancer. No relationship was found between smoking and the incidence of ovarian cancer, but smoking significantly increased the incidence of mucinous tumors. And the increased incidence of this kind of tumor is also related to the duration of smoking. No correlation was found between alcohol consumption and the incidence of ovarian cancer. However, it was found that caffeine intake slightly reduced the incidence of ovarian cancer. The most obvious were women who had never used oral contraceptive before or received hormone replacement therapy during menopause. Drinking caffeinated coffee and tea can reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer, but drinking caffeinated cola does not.

Dr. Tworoger said it was too early to make clinical recommendations. We hope to conduct some other studies to investigate the relationship between these factors and ovarian cancer, but women at high risk of ovarian cancer should tell their doctors about possible lifestyle changes.