Consumption of tea and coffee and the risk of lung cancer in cigarette-smoking men: a case-control study in Uruguay

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of drinking tea or coffee on the lung cancer risk of male cigarette smokers in a case-control in Uruguay. Four hundred and twenty-seven lung cancer cases were frequency matched on age and residence with 428 hospitalized controls suffering from conditions unrelated to tobacco smoking and diet. Whereas coffee drinking had no effect on the lung cancer risk of the cigarette-smoking men in this study, black tea consumption decreased this risk. Heavy drinkers of tea (two or more cups of tea per day) were associated with a reduced risk of 0.34 (95% CI 0.14-0.84). This protective effect was more evident among Kreyberg I tumors (squamous cell and small cell) and among light smokers. Possible sources of bias and mechanisms of action are discussed.