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A new study showed an association between a high-fat diet and breast cancer but caffeine consumption is not generally a risk.

There are, as always, more questions. Are there sub-groups of women for whom caffeine is a problem?

Medpage Today

“Breast cancer risk was not significantly elevated overall by drinking four or more cups of coffee a day (relative risk 1.08, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 1.30), reported Shumin M. Zhang, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard, and colleagues in the Oct. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Nor did women with even the highest level of caffeine consumption appear to be at elevated risk (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.22) in the analysis of the prospective Women’s Health Study.

“But as in some previous studies, high caffeine consumption appeared to increase risk for women with a history of benign breast disease. Risk was also elevated for developing hormone receptor-negative or larger tumors.

“The researchers cautioned though, that these subgroup findings may be due to chance.

“The overall lack of association between caffeine and caffeinated drinks was generally consistent with results from prior prospective cohort studies in Western countries, such as the Nurses’ Health Study, they noted.”

Source:  Medpage Today, October 13, 2009

Citation: Arch Intern Med 2008; 168: 2022-2031.