Coffee consumption as a protective factor against oral and pharyngeal cancer: Critical analysis of the literature

Abstract

The high and unequal prevalence of oral and pharyngeal cancer, together with the high consumption of coffee worldwide, make studies to analyze how the consumption of these drinks containing methylxanthines contributes, in the risk of these neoplasms, although with contradictory results. The objective of the present study was to verify the validity and applicability of the results regarding the effectiveness of high coffee consumption in adults as a protective factor for oral and pharyngeal cancer and answer the following question: ¿can a high consumption of coffee in drink be a protective factor against oral and pharyngeal cancer? The article by Miranda et al (2017) was analyzed: "Coffee is protective against oral and pharyngeal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis". A significant protective association was found between coffee consumption and the risk of oral cancer, and especially pharyngeal (z = 2.34, p = 0.019, OR = 0.72), inferring that the development of oral cancer in individuals who consume large amounts of coffee is 1.45 times lower than in individuals who consume small quantities or do not consume (OR = .69; 95% CI = .57-.84). However, with the methodological limitations of the primary studies included in the systematic review with meta-analysis, we do not consider the current moderate evidence sufficient to recommend the consumption of high quantities of the beverage of coffee to prevent oral or pharyngeal cancer in adults.