Coffee and methylxanthines and breast cancer: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Nutritional Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Dietary factors are crucial in breast cancer (BC) etiology.
• Methylxanthines, found in coffee and tea, have been investigated for their potential role in carcinogenesis.
• Previous research in animal models suggested caffeine might enhance mammary tumors in high-fat diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between coffee and methylxanthine intake and breast cancer risk.
• To explore potential interactions between dietary fat consumption and methylxanthine intake in relation to BC.
• To compare methylxanthine consumption in breast cancer patients versus benign breast disease patients.

Main Methods:

• A dietary case-control study involving 818 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in Israel (1975-1978).
• Comparison of methylxanthine intake (from coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) between BC patients and two control groups (surgical and neighborhood controls).
• Analysis stratified by fat consumption and adjusted for hormonal confounding factors.

Main Results:

• A nonsignificant inverse association was observed between higher coffee consumption (≥4 cups/day) and breast cancer risk (ORs 0.6-0.7).
• This inverse association was more pronounced among high-fat consumers (P-trend=0.05-0.06).
• Highest methylxanthine intake was associated with diminished BC risk compared to the lowest intake (OR=0.59) when compared to benign breast patients.

Conclusions:

• Coffee and methylxanthine consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
• The potential protective effect might be stronger in individuals with high dietary fat intake.
• Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the role of methylxanthines in breast cancer development.