title: Coffee and cancer of the pancreas.
abstract: We questioned 369 patients with histologically proved cancer of the pancreas and 644 control patients about their use of tobacco, alcohol, tea, and coffee. There was a weak positive association between pancreatic cancer and cigarette smoking, but we found no association with use of cigars, pipe tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or tea. A strong association between coffee consumption and pancreatic cancer was evident in both sexes. The association was not affected by controlling for cigarette use. For the sexes combined, there was a significant dose-response relation (P approximately 0.001); after adjustment for cigarette smoking, the relative risk associated with drinking up to two cups of coffee per day was 1.8 (95% confidence limits, 1.0 to 3.0), and that with three or more cups per day was 2.7 (1.6 to 4.7). This association should be evaluated with other data; if it reflects a causal relation between coffee drinking and pancreatic cancer, coffee use might account for a substantial proportion of the cases of this disease in the United States.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013662:Tea / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee; D013662:Tea