High Breast-Cancer Risk Women Get Coffee Help

MONTREAL, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Some women at high risk for breast cancer may be helped by drinking six or more cups of coffee a day, Canadian researchers found.

Study co-author Parviz Ghadirian of the University of Montreal says women who drink six or more cups of coffee a day could slash their risk of developing breast cancer by 75 percent -- but only if they have a genetic mutation that places them at extremely high risk of developing cancer.

The study shows that women with the BRCA1 mutation -- who have about an 80 percent risk of developing breast cancer before age 70 -- saw their risk fall to about 20 percent if they were heavy coffee drinkers, reported the Toronto Globe and Mail Friday.

The researchers say caffeine has a demonstrated effect on hormones -- and the hormone estrogen in particular. Excessive estrogen is known to cause breast cancer.

Ghadirian says caffeine helps the body break down estrogen and coffee is an important source of phytoestrogens, which may have protective effect against cancer.

However, Ghadirian warns caffeine can rob the bones of important minerals and hasten osteoporosis.

The findings are published at International Journal of Cancer.



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