Breast cancer affects women and men, and the National Cancer Institute estimates that by the end of 2010, there will have been 207,090 new cases among women and 1,970 among men in the United States. Ongoing cancer research strives to identify risk factors and causes as well as effective treatments for this increasingly prevalent cancer. It is not surprising that attention is directed to caffeine, the most commonly ingested drug worldwide, as a possible contributing factor to the development of breast cancer.
Caffeine and Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Fibrocystic breast disease is a commonly used and misleading term that refers to benign or noncancerous changes in the breasts. The tissue of fibrocystic breasts feel lumpy and bumpy, and is known as glandular or nodular breast tissue. This commonly experienced condition causes breast pain, tenderness and lumpiness, most often just before menstruation. A very small number of women with fibrocystic breasts are predisposed to developing breast cancer, and caffeine has been implicated as a possible cause of fibrocystic breasts. Some women find that consuming caffeine increases the symptoms of tenderness and pain. A study reported in the Oct. 18, 2008 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine" found an increased risk for developing breast cancer among women with benign breast disease who drank four or more cups of coffee each day.
Caffeine and Increased Risk for Breast Cancer
Atypical hyperplasia, a benign breast condition, is a precursor to breast cancer and refers to the accumulation of abnormal cells in the breast. Caffeine was thought to increase the risk for breast cancer because of reports that women with benign breast disease experienced a relief in symptoms by eliminating caffeine from their daily diet. A team of researchers led by Ken Ishitani, M.D., set out to test this hypothesis. Dr. Ishitani and his colleagues evaluated the association between caffeine consumption and breast cancer risk in 38,432 women who were at least 45 years old who did not have cancer. In the 10-year followup, 1,188 cases of invasive breast cancer were identified. Of these women, about 24 percent never drank coffee, 13 percent drank less than one cup a day, 14 percent limited coffee to one cup a day, almost 33 percent drank two or three cups of coffee daily and 15 percent drank at least four cups per day. Final analysis of the collected data showed that the consumption of caffeine was not significantly associated with overall risk of breast cancer.
Protective Effect for Women with Genetic Predisposition for Breast Cancer
Researchers from Lund University and Malmo University in Sweden studied the relationship between breast volume, the genotype CYP1A2*1F and coffee intake. The 10-year study included 269 young Swedish women from families with a high risk for breast cancer. All but two participants carried the genotype CYP1A2*1F. The daily coffee consumption of participants was considered. The research team led by H. Jernstrom found that if a woman has a specific genotype, the consumption of two or more cups of coffee each day can either reduce or delay the development of breast cancer. This study was published in the Nov. 4, 2008 issue of the "British Journal of Cancer."
The Bottom Line
Kristin L. Brill, M.D., FACS, a breast surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, reassures women that there is no current evidence that moderate intake of caffeine increases one's risk for developing breast cancer. Dr. Brill's advice is to eat a healthy, low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and to consume alcohol in low to moderate amounts.
References
- National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer
- Thomas Jefferson University Hospital: New Study: Caffeine and Breast Cancer Risk
- University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: Fibrocystic Breast Disease: Frequently Asked Questions
- Archives of Internal Medicine: Caffeine Consumption and the Risk of Breast Cancer in a Large Prospective Cohort of Women
- British Journal of Cancer: Coffee Intake and CYP1A2*F Genotype Predict Breast Volume in Young Women: Implications for Breast Cancer
