A recent study has found that consumption of caffeinated coffee regularly could increase the chances of surviving bowel cancer.
Approximately 1,000 patients who had been treated for colon cancer were part of the study, which found that those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were 42 percent less likely to see their cancer return than non-coffee drinkers. The chances of them dying from cancer or any other cause were also 33 percent lesser.
"What we found in this slightly less than 1,000 patients is that those who drank coffee regularly had a better disease-free survival, meaning they had a lower rate of having their cancer recur or of dying," said Dr. Charles Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, according to NBC News.
The doctor was cautious about recommending coffee as a potential alternative treatment for people with bowel cancer, despite the results. "If you are a coffee drinker and are being treated for colon cancer, don't stop," Fuchs said, reports BT. "But if you're not a coffee drinker and wondering whether to start, you should first discuss it with your physician."
All of the patients who were a part of the study had stage III bowel cancer.
The study also found that the effect of coffee depended on the dose and increased if more of the beverage was consumed. Two to three cups a day produced a more modest benefit, while one cup or less offered little protection. "We found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of the cancer coming back and a significantly greater survival and chance of a cure," said Fuchs, according to The Belfast Telegraph.
Consumption of tea and decaffeinated coffee did not have the same benefit; neither did caffeinated drinks like soda. "People who consumed two or more sugar sweetened beverages a day have a poorer outcome," Fuchs said, according to NBC News.
Fuchs wants other scientists to match his findings before prescribing coffee to cancer patients, or to encourage non-coffee drinkers to start.
