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Tavani A, Bertuzzi M et al. Oral Oncol 2003; 39: 695–700

To date, studies have disagreed on a possible association between coffee and cancer risk, and also between tea and cancer risk. This study examined coffee and tea drinking habits in 749 subjects with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, 395 with oesophageal cancer and 2301 hospital patient controls without tumours, matched by gender and age.

Regression analysis was performed, taking account of age, gender, education, smoking experience, and intakes of alcohol, fruit and vegetables. A significant reduction of subjects with both types of tumour was found in subjects who drank more than 3 cups of coffee per day. This effect was not found in those who drank decaffeinated coffee or tea but consumption of these beverages was limited in the samples compared. Coffee appeared to have a stronger effect in current smokers than in non-smokers.

The authors discuss possible reasons for their findings, including substitution of coffee for alcohol, but feel their study was adequately controlled for the covariates known to be related to these tumours.