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Cancer

Factsheet for professionals

  • Cancer causes 20% of deaths in Europe each year. With more than 3 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths annually,  cancer is the most important cause of death and morbidity in Europe after cardiovascular diseases1.
  • The most common cancers in Europe in 2008 were2:
  • Bowel cancer (436,000 cases, 13.6% of total cancer cases)
  • Breast cancer (421,000, 13.1% of total cancer cases)
  • Lung cancer (391,000, 12.2% of total cancer cases)
  • Prostate cancer (382,000, 11.9% of total cancer cases).
    • Tobacco use is a major factor in the development of cancer, as are harmful alcohol use, poor diet and physical inactivity3.

    Coffee consumption and cancer risk

    • Current scientific evidence suggests that moderate coffee drinking is not associated with an increased risk of cancer at the majority of body sites4 or an increased risk of dying from cancer5.
    • Coffee drinking is not linked to an increased risk of oesophageal4, stomach6, pancreatic7, kidney8, prostate9, skin10, ovarian11 or breast cancer12.
    • Research results also suggest that coffee consumption may be linked to a reduced risk of developing cancer at a number of body sites, including the oral cavity/pharynx13, liver4, endometrium14, brain15, colon and rectum16. More research is needed to clarify these associations.
    • A possible association has been shown between coffee consumption and bladder17 and lung18 cancer risk. However, in both cases, potential confounding factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption remain18,19, and further studies are needed to confirm the association.

 

This information is intended for healthcare and professional audiences.

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