A study of almost 1,000 treated patients found that those who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day were 42% less likely to see their cancer return than non-coffee drinkers.
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Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, lead author and director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the institute, said if patients want to get the benefits, they would have to consume three to four cups because a cup or less of coffee showed no or little significance at all.
The study, which has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has observed and followed about 953 stage 3 colon cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy and surgery, The New York Times reports.
He added: “If you are a coffee drinker and are being treated for colon cancer, don’t stop”. Most of these patients (288 of them) died of bowel cancer, and 36 additional patients who did not experience cancer recurrence also died.
All the patients had stage III bowel cancer, meaning the disease had spread as far as the lymph nodes near the original tumour.
The research is thought to function as the at the top of whole world to discover a connection between caffeinated tea and potential risk of colon cancer return. They say that the beverage could aid throughout the treatment with high chances of cure, while help in stopping its recurrence.
Though the results are promising, researchers aren’t too keen on making recommendation to patients until the results are confirmed by other studies. On the contrary, those who are not drinking coffee, and wondering if they’d start the regimen, the doctor recommends discussing the matter with their private physicians.
It follows a number of recent studies suggesting that coffee may have protective effects against the development of several kinds of cancer, including reduced risks of postmenopausal breast cancer, melanoma, liver cancer, advanced prostate cancer.
Dr. Alok Khorana of the Cleveland Clinic says the role coffee plays needs more study.
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Other than drinking coffee, Fuchs said, people can take other measures to reduce cancer risks – avoiding obesity, exercising regularly, adopting a healthier diet, and eating nuts, which also reduce the risk of diabetes.
