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All of us are now aware of the overwhelming evidence linking cigarette smoking to cancer. However, Norwegian researchers working in the Rikshospitalet in Oslo and in the University of Oslo have carried out studies that surprisingly suggest that cigarette smoking and coffee drinking can have a potentially beneficial effect on risk of developing a particular liver cancer, namely Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). This rare cancer is extremely severe and affects mainly young adults (30-40 years). It is associated with high risk of cancer of the bile ducts. There are few treatment options open to patients and PSC is a leading reason for liver transplants.

The Norwegian research is an Article in Press in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. It aimed to investigate non-genetic, environmental risk factors for PSC development. It involved analysis of responses to a questionnaire which was distributed to PSC patients recruited from Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet through 2011, and randomly chosen control individuals from the Norwegian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Responses from 240 PSC patients and 245 age- and gender-matched control subjects were analysed. The results indicated that fewer patients versus control subjects were daily coffee drinkers, either currently or at age 18 years. 20% of PSC patients reported having ever been daily smokers as compared to 43% of control subjects. The results suggested that having ever smoked or having been a daily coffee drinker at the age of 18 were significantly negatively associated with PSC diagnosis. Thus the researchers’ surprising conclusions are that coffee consumption and cigarette smoking may be protective in avoiding this one particular cancer. The results are however consistent with other studies that have suggested that coffee may be protective in other liver diseases and with studies by others that also indicated that cigarette smoking may be a protective factor in PSC risk.

Sources

ANDERSEN, I.M., TENGESDAL, G., LIE, B.A., BOBERG, K.M., KARLSEN, T.H. and HOV, J.R., 2013. Effects of Coffee Consumption, Smoking, and Hormones on Risk for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. W.B. Saunders for the American Gastroenterological Association. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.09.024

Oslo University Hospital. "Coffee and cigarettes may protect against liver disease." ScienceDaily, 14 Dec. 2013. [Accessed 17 Dec. 2013].