Coffee and Tea Linked to Lower Risk of Head and Neck Cancers

Coffee and tea consumption was associated with a reduced risk of developing head and neck cancers (HNC), based on pooled data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium (INHANCE). As case rates rise in low- and middle-income countries, affordable and accessible preventative approaches are crucial to reduce global incidence of HNC.

Bowl with coffee beans and dried tea leaves | Image Credit: © Снежана Кудрявцева - stock.adobe.com

HNC is the 7^th most common in the world, accounting for over 325,000 deaths annually. Although 5-year survival rates have greatly improved over the past decade, HNC remains a significant burden in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. These outcomes highlight the significance of understanding risk factors of HNC for primary prevention.

It is well known that smoking and alcohol consumption are risk factors for various types of cancer, including HNC. However, the role of dietary factors, namely coffee and tea consumption, in HNC risk is under researched. Multiple studies and meta-analyses have found inconsistent data indicating the association between coffee and oral cavity, pharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers. In the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial cohort study, no consistent association was observed between coffee and HNC risk.

Other investigations regarding tea consumption have similar inconsistent findings. A review of prior studies indicates the protective capabilities of tea against oral cancer, as well as inverse associations between green tea consumption and HNC. The INHANCE analysis supports prior findings and identified no link between HNC and tea consumption.

To determine the relationship between coffee, tea, and HNC, researchers performed a pooled analysis of 9548 HNC cases and 15,783 controls from 14 individual-level case-control studies conducted from the INHANCE consortium. They used random-effects logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for HNC and its subsites, which were adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

According to the investigators, the analysis showed that drinking more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily was inversely associated with HNC (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69–1.00), oral cavity (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.55-0.89), and oropharyngeal cancers (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.61-0.99). For 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day, there was an observed a negative correlation with hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC; OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39-0.91). Decaffeinated coffee and drinking between 0 to 1 cup daily was associated with a negative correlation of oral cavity cancer (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.64–0.87 and OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54–0.81).

When investigating tea consumption associations with HNC, the study results showed inverse associations with HPC (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.87). Consumption of 0 to 1 cup of tea a day was inversely associated with HNC (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98) and HPC (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.91). However, drinking more than 1 cup was associated with laryngeal cancer (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.09–1.74).

The study findings support evidence suggesting the protective and preventative capabilities of coffee and tea against HNC. Further studies are needed to confirm these data and increase clinical understanding of geographical differences in coffee and tea to improve understanding of global HNC risk.

REFERENCE

Nguyen T, Korin A, Chang C.P., et al. Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of head and neck cancer: An updated pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium. Cancer. December 23, 2024. doi:10.1002/cncr.35620