People who have already been treated for colon cancer may be able to prevent a recurrence of the disease by simple consuming at least 4 cups of coffee a day. At least that is what the findings of a new study at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston seems to suggest. However, those who already jolt down the java are warned not to increase their daily intake. At the same time, a lot more research needs to be done before the findings are considered conclusive according to medical specialists including epidemilogist Dr. Peter Bach of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manahattan and colorectal cancer surgeon Dr. Robert Amajoyi at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, NY. Both would both like to see more data before jumping on the bandwagon. Even the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Charles Fuchs, director of the Gastronintestinal Cancer Center at Dana Farber remains cautious and wonders why the coffee did not act to prevent the colon cancer in the first place.
Although his study involved 1,000 patients who had already received surgery and chemotherapy for stage111 colon cancer, which had spread only as far as nearby lymph nodes, Fuchs stated had no information concerning how much coffee they consumed prior to their original diagnosis. The patients who had the best survival rates of more than 5-years, however, drank at least 4-cups of caffeinated coffee daily during the trial. In addition to drinking the coffee, participants in the study were required to keep a daily log of their eating habits. At the same time, Fuchs also noted that he found no correlation between drinking herbal tea and decaf coffee with survival benefits.
The Fuchs project is just the latest in a series of investigations regarding the benefits (as well as the negative aspects) of coffee, including how may help to lower the risks if Parkinson’s disease as well as Type 2 diabetes as well as other cancers. It has already been shown that the caffeine in coffee aids in lowering insulin levels (a hormone that can promote the growth of cancer cells). In fact, high levels of insulin in the blood have been found to increase the chances of obesity, which in turn has been associated with a higher risk of colon cancer as well.
