Coffee drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: A meta‐analysis

• Published in: Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 430 - 435
• Main Authors: Bravi, Francesca, Bosetti, Cristina, Tavani, Alessandra, Bagnardi, Vincenzo, Gallus, Silvano, Negri, Eva, Franceschi, Silvia, La Vecchia, Carlo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.2007; Wiley
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - prevention & control; Case-Control Studies; Coffee; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - prevention & control; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Medical sciences; Tumors; Southern Europe; Asia; Europe; Japan; Human; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Drinking; Malignant tumor; Risk analysis; Coffee
• ISSN: 0270-9139; 1527-3350
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.21708

Several studies suggest an inverse relation between coffee drinking and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We conducted a meta‐analysis of published studies on HCC that included quantitative information on coffee consumption. Ten studies were retrieved (2,260 HCC cases), including 6 case–control studies from southern Europe and Japan (1551 cases) and 4 cohort studies from Japan (709 cases). The summary relative risk (RR) for coffee drinkers versus non‐drinkers was 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38‐0.76) for case–control studies and 0.64 (95% CI 0.56‐0.74) for cohort studies. The overall RR was 0.59 (95% CI 0.49‐0.72), with significant heterogeneity between studies. The overall summary RR for low or moderate coffee drinkers was 0.70 (95% CI 0.57‐0.85), and that for high drinkers was 0.45 (95% CI 0.38‐0.53). The summary RR for an increase of 1 cup of coffee per day was 0.77 (95% CI 0.72‐0.83) from case–control studies, 0.75 (95% CI 0.65‐0.85) from cohort studies, and 0.77 (95% CI 0.72‐0.82) overall. The consistency of an inverse relation between coffee drinking and HCC across study design and geographic areas weighs against a major role of bias or confounding. Coffee drinking has also been related to reduced risk of other liver diseases, thus suggesting a continuum of the favorable effect of coffee on liver function. However, subjects with liver conditions may selectively reduce their coffee consumption. Conclusion: The present analysis provides evidence that the inverse relation between coffee and HCC is real, though inference on causality remains open to discussion. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)