Last week, we featured news articles about the effects of coffee consumption on the risk of death and the risk for cerebral infarction. This week, we're reporting on a study in the July issue of Hepatology which showed that higher coffee intake was associated with a lower risk for liver cancer.

Researchers from Finland studied 60,323 Finns between the ages of 25 and 74, none of whom had any type of cancer at the time of enrollment in the study. These participants were followed for an average of over 19 years, during which 128 participants were diagnosed with liver cancer, the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Participants who drank more than 8 cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of developing liver cancer than those who drank less than 1 cup a day. The researchers also found that participants who had higher levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT, a liver enzyme) seemed to have an increased risk of liver cancer.

As yet, there is no explanation of the biological mechanism behind the association of coffee consumption and liver cancer. And, because this study was limited to Finns, it remains to be seen whether these findings can be generalized to other population. However, because the incidence of liver cancer can largely be prevented through vaccination for hepatitis B, control of hepatitis C transmission, and moderation of alcohol intake, it would certainly be interesting if increased coffee consumption could further reduce the number of liver cancer patients diagnosed every year.