In a new study, researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that regular caffeinated coffee intake may be associated with significantly reduced cancer recurrence and improved survival in patients with stage 3 colon cancer.

Share on Pinterest The researchers found that consuming four or more cups of coffee a day led to the greatest reduction in colon cancer recurrence risk.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that the greatest benefit came from consuming four or more cups of coffee a day.

“We found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of the cancer coming back and a significantly greater survival and chance of a cure,” says lead author Charles Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber.

On average, Americans drink around three cups of coffee a day, with 54% of Americans over the age of 18 consuming coffee every day. Such is the prevalence of this hot drink, it is unsurprising that a lot of research has been conducted investigating the effect that coffee has on the body.

Coffee consumption is frequently linked to a wide range of medical conditions. In the past few months, Medical News Today have reported on studies suggesting coffee consumption could raise the risk of mild cognitive impairment and reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Perhaps more relevant to the current study is one published in April claiming that women diagnosed with breast cancer who are taking the drug tamoxifen could halve their risk of recurrence by drinking at least two cups a day.

According to the authors, previous observational studies have found colon cancer is more likely to recur in people with higher-than-expected levels of insulin, as well as associating increased coffee consumption with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and increased insulin sensitivity.

However, the effect of coffee consumption on colon cancer survival and recurrence is unknown, they write.