Green tea consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer in Japanese adults.
OBJECTIVE
Green tea polyphenols have been shown to inhibit tumor growth in animal and in vitro studies. We examined the relationship between green tea consumption and the risk of death from pancreatic cancer in a large Japanese cohort.


METHODS
At baseline (1988-1990), study participants reported the frequency and amount of green tea consumption during the past year. They were followed-up for mortality until December 31, 2003. Relative risk and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from Cox proportional hazard models.


RESULTS
During an average follow-up of 13 years, we observed 292 pancreatic cancer deaths. In men and women combined, the relative risk was 1.23 (95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.80) for participants who consumed 7 or more cups of green tea per day as compared with those who consumed less than 1 cup per day, after adjustment for potential confounding factors. No significant trend in risk reduction was noted, with increasing consumption of green tea. We found no inverse association between cups of green tea consumed per day and the risk of pancreatic cancer in either men or women.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that green tea consumption is associated with decreased risk of pancreatic cancer in humans.
Lin
Yingsong
Y
Department of Public Health, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute-cho, Aichi, Japan.
Kikuchi
Shogo
S
Tamakoshi
Akiko
A
Yagyu
Kiyoko
K
Obata
Yuki
Y
Kurosawa
Michiko
M
Inaba
Yutaka
Y
Kawamura
Takashi
T
Motohashi
Yutaka
Y
Ishibashi
Teruo
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D028241:Camellia sinensis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013662:Tea; D013997:Time Factors
D013662:Tea