Ginseng Tea Consumption and Liver Cancer Risk: A Prospective Korean Multi-center Cancer Cohort Study

Ginseng has been widely consumed for its purported chemoprotective effects against various disease including cancer. However, the association between ginseng tea consumption and liver cancer (LC) risk remains unclear, particularly among individuals with underlying liver disease. We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the Korean Multi-Center Cancer Cohort (KMCC), including 5,926 participants without cancer history who completed a baseline questionnaire on ginseng tea consumption between 2000 and 2005. Participants were followed for up to 14 years for incident LC through linkage with the national cancer registry. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Stratified analyses were performed by liver disease status. During a median follow-up of 10.9 years, 61 incident LC cases were identified. Frequent ginseng tea consumption (≥ 2 cups/week) was significantly associated with an increased LC risk (adjusted HR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.08-4.25), with the highest risk observed among daily consumers (HR = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.40-8.01). The association was notably stronger in individuals with pre-existing liver disease (HR = 3.57; 95% CI: 1.40-9.07; P for trend = 0.022), whereas no significant association was observed in those without liver disease. In conclusion, frequent consumption of ginseng tea among individuals with underlying liver disease was associated with the potentially increased risk of liver cancer.