The team followed over 600 breast cancer patients from southern Sweden for an average of five years. Approximately 300 took Tamoxifen. The drug, a common hormone therapy after breast cancer surgery, reduces the risk of new tumours by blocking oestrogen receptors. How coffee interacts with the treatment, however, isnât immediately known.
âOne theory we are working with is that coffee âactivatesâ Tamoxifen and makes it more efficientâ, says Maria Simonsson, doctoral student in Oncology at Lund University.
The Lund University researchers have previously linked coffee consumption to a decreased risk of developing certain types of breast cancer. Caffeine has also been shown to hamper the growth of cancer cells. The latest observational study involving coffeeâs role in cancer prevention and treatment underlines the need for more research, according to the team.
âWe would like to know more about how lifestyle can interact with breast cancer treatmentâ, says Helena Jernström, Associate Professor of Experimental Oncology at Lund University.