Coffee consumption and melanoma

November 10, 2015

Abstract

Background
Laboratory and animals studies have suggested a possible protective effect of coffee consumption on the development of melanoma. However, the results of epidemiological studies investigating this association have been inconclusive.

Objective
A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies was conducted to evaluate any association between coffee consumption and melanoma.

Methods
Observational studies were searched for in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register from inception to September 1, 2015. The Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were followed in conducting this study.

Results
We identified nine observational studies with a total of 927,173 study participants, of which 3787 had melanoma. With random-effects modeling, the pooled relative risks (RR) for melanoma among regular coffee drinkers was 0.75 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.63–0.89, p = 0.001) compared with controls. Visual inspection of a funnel plot suggested publication bias, although Egger’s test (p = 0.981) delineated no small-study effects. The pooled relative risks for melanoma among decaffeinated coffee drinkers was, however, not statistically significant at 0.92 (95 % CI 0.82–1.05,p = 0.215).

Conclusion
There is some evidence for the beneficial effects of regular coffee consumption on melanoma. More prospective cohort studies with systematic quantification of coffee consumption would be necessary to further elucidate this association.

Source:

Yew, YW, et al. Coffee Consumption and Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. First online: 07 November 2015
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40257-01...