Comment:

I love my coffee – even roast my own beans. I also gave it up for about a dozen years because I was told how bad it was for me. As the research has continued to come it, it shows just how wrong that thinking is. Both coffee and tea have significant benefits.

I also love my tea. My favorite being an organic, fair trade certified Darjeeling oolong that’s worth a try.

In the context of cancer, most clearly colon, the reductions in recurrence, progression and death are at a level that it is worth encouraging non-coffee  and tea drinkers to learn to love it. 

 

Summary

Clinical Bottom Line

This meta-analysis of observational studies suggests a potentially protective association between higher coffee consumption and improved survival in cancer patients, particularly those with colorectal cancer. For patients with non-metastatic disease, higher coffee or tea intake was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of recurrence. However, the evidence is rated as Low to Moderate certainty. The observational nature of the included studies means we cannot conclude that coffee causes the improved outcomes, and significant inconsistency across studies for some cancer types warrants cautious interpretation.

Results

• Summary of Results: The primary analysis, which combined endpoints of recurrence, progression, and death, found that patients with the highest coffee intake had a 24% lower risk of an event compared to those with the lowest intake (Summary Hazard Ratio [SHR] = 0.76, 95% CI 0.65−0.89). A hazard ratio represents the difference in the rate of events over time; a value less than 1.0 indicates a lower rate in the intervention (high coffee) group.
• Recurrence-Specific Outcomes:
  • Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS): In an analysis limited to patients with non-metastatic disease, the highest intake of coffee and/or tea was associated with a 35% reduction in the risk of recurrence compared to the lowest intake (SHR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.52−0.82). This finding was consistent for both colorectal and breast cancer patients.
• Cancer-Specific Outcomes for Coffee:
  • Colorectal Cancer: The evidence was strongest for this group. High coffee consumption was associated with a 28% reduction in the risk of progression or death (SHR =
    0.72, 95% CI 0.62−0.83). Furthermore, a dose-response analysis found that each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7% reduction in risk (SHR =
    0.93, 95% CI 0.91−0.95).
  • Breast Cancer: The data for coffee were limited and inconclusive. An analysis of only two studies showed a non-statistically significant trend towards risk reduction (SHR =
    0.80, 95% CI 0.42−1.52).
  • Prostate Cancer: No significant association was observed between coffee intake and survival outcomes.

Assertive Critical Appraisal

• Certainty of Evidence (GRADE Framework): The overall certainty of this evidence is Low to Moderate. The primary reason for downgrading from ‘High’ is the observational design of all included studies, which cannot rule out the influence of unmeasured confounding variables (e.g., other healthy lifestyle behaviors that may be more common in coffee drinkers). Further downgrading is warranted due to
  serious inconsistency (heterogeneity) in the results for some cancers, particularly breast cancer. The evidence for colorectal cancer is more robust due to lower inconsistency among those studies.
• Risk of Bias in Included Studies: The review authors assessed the quality of the included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and found just over half (54%) to be of high quality. However, key limitations inherent in this type of research remain. Data on coffee consumption was self-reported, which introduces the possibility of recall bias. Additionally, the analysis could not account for other factors that might influence outcomes, such as the use of sugar or milk, which were not reported in the original studies.

Research Objective

To summarize the existing evidence on the association between coffee and/or tea consumption and survival outcomes in patients with cancer.

• Population: Patients with a cancer diagnosis.
• Intervention/Exposure: High intake of coffee and/or tea.
• Comparison: Low intake of coffee and/or tea.
• Outcomes: Recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and overall survival.

Study Design

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 prospective observational cohort studies published between 1993 and 2024, conducted following PRISMA and MOOSE reporting guidelines. The authors performed a comprehensive search of PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database.

Setting and Participants

The analysis included a total of 26 studies comprising over 40,000 cancer patients from North America, Europe, and Asia. The primary cancer sites analyzed were colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer.

Bibliographic Data

• Title: Coffee and tea intake and survival of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
• Authors: Marco Romelli, Patrizia Gnagnarella, Aurora Gaeta, Davide Serrano, Ilaria Ermini, Nora de’ Bonfioli Cavalcabo, Calogero Saieva, Simone Iadevaias, Sara Gandini, Saverio Caini.
• Journal: Cancer Causes & Control.
• Year: 2025.
• URL:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10552-025-02033-z 
• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-025-02033-z

This AI-generated analysis is for informational and research purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

 

Original Article:

Full text pdf: Not available