Coffee consumption and colorectal cancer risk: a dose-response meta-analysis on prospective cohort studies

Evidence regarding the influence of coffee drinking on colorectal cancer (CRC) is limited, and it remains unclear whether coffee consumption is associated with the risk of the disease. To clarify this association, a comprehensive meta-analysis was performed. The risk of CRC was compared between the categories of coffee consumption, and a dose-response relationship was studied using restricted cubic splines. We did not find evidence for the association between coffee consumption and CRC risk. Among alternative study inclusions, when using pooled projects, coffee consumption was related with a decreased risk of colon cancer in a subgroup analysis of never-smokers and in Asian countries, and with an increased risk of rectal cancer in an analysis of the general population and after restriction to women, never-smokers, and European countries. In conclusion, the association between coffee consumption and CRC risk is controversial and should be clarified in further cohort studies.