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Coffee and tea intake and risk of breast cancer

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Known risk factors account for about 10–15% of breast cancer incidence suggesting that lifestyle exposures are crucial in its etiology. Previous epidemiological studies on the association between coffee and tea consumption and breast cancer risk have been inconsistent. We investigated the association of coffee and tea consumption with the risk of breast cancer among women in EPIC-NL cohort, a population-based prospective cohort in Netherlands with 27,323 participants. Exposure was measured by a validated food frequency questionnaire, and the outcome was verified by direct linkage with the Netherlands Cancer Registry. A total of 681 invasive primary breast cancers were diagnosed in 9.6 years of follow-up. Coffee intake increased the risk of breast cancer by more than twofold as compared to non-consumers (HR; 2.25, 95% CI; 1.30–3.90). This association did not hold after multivariate adjustment which resulted in a HR of 1.17, 95% CI; 0.65–2.12. After adjustment to breast cancer risk factors and lifestyle, no association was observed between intake of coffee or tea and risk of breast cancer across all categories of intake. These results were also not altered by body mass index (BMI). Coffee and tea consumption does not seem to be related to the risk of breast cancer in women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Stratenum 6.131, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, Petra Peeters, Carla van Gils, Joline W. J. Beulens, Yolanda van der Graaf & Cuno S. P. M. Uiterwaal

  2. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nirmala Bhoo Pathy & Awang Bulgiba

  3. National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Joline W. J. Beulens & Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita

Authors
  1. Nirmala Bhoo Pathy
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  2. Petra Peeters
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  3. Carla van Gils
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  4. Joline W. J. Beulens
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  5. Yolanda van der Graaf
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  6. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita
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  7. Awang Bulgiba
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  8. Cuno S. P. M. Uiterwaal
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Correspondence to Cuno S. P. M. Uiterwaal.

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Bhoo Pathy, N., Peeters, P., van Gils, C. et al. Coffee and tea intake and risk of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 121, 461–467 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-009-0583-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-009-0583-y

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