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Coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of ovarian cancer: the Iowa Women’s Health Study

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Abstract

Laboratory data suggest that caffeine or some components of coffee may cause DNA mutations and inhibit tumor suppressor mechanisms, leading to neoplastic growth. However, coffee consumption has not been clearly implicated in the etiology of human postmenopausal ovarian cancer. This study evaluated the relationship of coffee and caffeine intake with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in a prospective cohort study of 29,060 postmenopausal women. The participants completed a mailed questionnaire that assessed diet and health history and were followed for ovarian cancer incidence from 1986 to 2004. Age-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios were calculated for four exposure variables: caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, total coffee, and total caffeine to assess whether or not coffee or caffeine influences the risk of ovarian cancer. An increased risk was observed in the multivariate model for women who reported drinking five or more cups/day of caffeinated coffee compared to women who reported drinking none (HR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.10–2.95). Decaffeinated coffee, total coffee, and caffeine were not statistically significantly associated with ovarian cancer incidence. Our results suggest that a component of coffee other than caffeine, or in combination with caffeine, may be associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women who drink five or more cups of coffee a day.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Aaron R. Folsom, MD, MPH for providing the Iowa Women’s Health Study data and Ching-Ping Hong, MS and Gretchen Cutler, MPH for assistance in data preparation prior to data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Natalie A. Lueth, Kristin E. Anderson, Lisa J. Harnack & Kim Robien

  2. Prevention and Etiology Program, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Kristin E. Anderson, Lisa J. Harnack & Kim Robien

  3. School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Jayne A. Fulkerson

  4. 1300 S. Second St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA

    Kim Robien

Authors
  1. Natalie A. Lueth
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  2. Kristin E. Anderson
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  3. Lisa J. Harnack
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  4. Jayne A. Fulkerson
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  5. Kim Robien
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Correspondence to Kim Robien.

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Lueth, N.A., Anderson, K.E., Harnack, L.J. et al. Coffee and caffeine intake and the risk of ovarian cancer: the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Cancer Causes Control 19, 1365–1372 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9208-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9208-8

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