Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day may decrease endometrial cancer risk by nearly 20%

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers from Imperial College London in London, United Kingdom, have found that drinking three to four cups of coffee per day may reduce a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer by nearly a fifth.

For the study, researchers sought to investigate how dietary factors influence the risk of developing endometrial cancer. They analyzed data from 1,303 women with endometrial cancer who participated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

In that study, participants completed questionnaires about their dietary habits. Results showed that butter, carbohydrates, cheese, coffee, monounsaturated fats, phosphorous, potatoes, and total fat may be associated with risk of endometrial cancer.

Then, researchers analyzed data from 1,531 women with endometrial cancer who participated in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) or Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), in which participants also completed dietary questionnaires. The team next looked at the association between the nine foods identified in the EPIC study and risk of endometrial cancer in the NHS and NHSII studies.

They found that drinking three cups of coffee per day decreased endometrial cancer risk by 19% among those in the EPIC study compared with those who drank less than one cup per day.

In addition, the team found that women who drank four cups per day reduced endometrial cancer risk by 18% versus those who never drank coffee in the NHS and NHSII studies.