Colon Cancer and Coffee
The needs and wants of humans are by nature, very difficult to satisfy. As such, this continuous dissatisfaction drives individuals to devise ways of improving their lifestyles to avoid boredom. In order to do this, people innovate anything that can be derived from the surroundings – from machines, to own houses, and even food. People have invented different additives and flavors to make food more appetizing and delectable. Chemical preservatives are added in order to maintain the freshness of the food. And in order to enjoy life more, most individuals are hooked on liquors and cigarettes.
People have developed this standard of living. And along with the changes in the lifestyle of the people, is also the increasing possibility of people developing various diseases and ailments with cures that are yet to be discovered. One of the most common and fatal of these diseases is cancer.
Cancer is an illness wherein abnormal cells multiply uncontrollably to the point that other healthy cells in the body are invaded and destroyed. It has many different types depending on which organ has developed the abnormality in cell production. One common type of cancer is the colon cancer. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer in males and the third in females. Combined, it ranks second to lung cancer (Lee, 1996).
There are many known risk factors for colon cancer. Many studies have shown that one reason for the occurrence of colon cancer is the existence of numerous precancerous polyps or adenomas (“Pathophysiology,” 2007).
Adenomas are gradually formed in the normal colonic mucosa with Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutation as a main ingredient especially in individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis (Cappell, 2007). Protein produced by the APC gene decreases the production of beta-catenin, a protein component that activates cyclin D1 or c-myc, growth-promoting oncogenes. The changes in the DNA methylation have been detected in the earlier polyp stage. Both polyps and cancer have an imbalance in genomic DNA methylation, with global hypomethylation that can lead to oncogene activation and regional hypermethylation that can silence the tumor suppressor genes. In the latter stage of the disease, 18q deletions take place. It targets chromosomes like DPC4, and DCC triggering recurrence in patients who are in Stage B even after undergoing surgery. Tumor suppressor p53 also slowly deteriorate together with chromosome 17p. There are some cases where patients acquire non-polyposis colon cancer from inherited genes involved in DNA mismatch repair, gene mutations like MSH2, MLH1, and PMS2 (“Pathophysiology,” 2007).
In America, there are about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer this year. More than 40,000 of rectal cancer, and more than 49,000 deaths attributed to both (“Study Identifies CDK8 as a New Colon Cancer Oncogene,” 2008). While in Europe about 250,000 cases of cancer are discovered every year (Cappell, “From Colonic Polyps to Colon Cancer,” 2007). Due to this alarming increase in the number the people developing cancer, the public is being recommended several strategies to prevent a further increase in the cancer statistics.
One of the numerous preventive measures is screening or colon examination. There are a number of ways available for patients to be examined. The most recommended examination technique is colonoscopy, because it has high sensitivity and specificity compared to sigmoidoscopy and FIT or the Fecal Immunochemical Test (Cappell, “Reducing the Incidence and Mortality of Colon Cancer,” 2008). As soon as the presence of adenomas in the bowels is traced, the patient may be given an immediate treatment. It may either be removed through surgery and/or followed up with medication lowering the risk of metastasis or cancer development throughout the body.
Another way to prevent colon cancer is through reduced consumption of liquor or alcoholic beverages. Alcohol also contains chemicals like acetaldehyde and ethanol. Acetaldehyde is a chemical that destroys folate. Folate or folic acid is a vitamin that helps reduce the risk of colon cancer in the body.
In a study by Larsson et. al. (2005), a daily intake of 100µg folate may account for a 34 percent reduction of colon cancer risk. Through the consumption of acetaldehyde-containing alcoholic beverage, the natural production and even intake of folate through multivitamins and healthy foods is disrupted. Therefore the risk of acquiring colon cancer is increased (Cho et. al., 2004).
Another chemical present in alcoholic beverages is the ethanol. Ethanol is a chemical that acts as a solvent that helps in the entry of carcinogenic substances in the body. This enhances the development of adenomatous polyps that which triggers the adenoma carcinoma sequence. Furthermore, alcohol can eliminate natural killer cells which naturally decrease the number of produced cells in the body (Poschl et. al., 2004).
In addition, reduced cigarette-smoking is also proven to be an effective method of preventing colon cancer because cigarettes also contain acetaldehyde (Poschl et. al., 2004). Although certain cigarette smoke actually contain folate that may be used in the augmentation of folate deficiency when consumed (Larsson et. al., 2005), the presence of acetaldehyde may still directly affect methylation that can decrease the ability for DNA repair and may cause mutations that can lead to carcinoma (Luchtonberg et. al., 2005). Therefore, reduction in cigarette smoking is highly advised because it can lessen the possibility of developing the disease.
Aside from eliminating harmful vices, enhanced physical activity or adjusting from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one may also help in the lessening of the risk of having colon cancer. As such, physical activity has been proven to lessen the risk of obtaining the disease (Meyehardt et. al., 2006).
According to the study conducted by Meyehardt (2006), patients who were diagnosed and pre-diagnosed with colon cancer were given a survey that inquires about the amount of their daily activities as regards to colon cancer acquisition. They found out that patients who were more active had an almost 50 percent decrease in colon cancer risk as compared to those who leads a more sedentary lifestyle. In the case of post-diagnosed patients, the mortality lowered up to 0.43.
In addition to the reduction in vices and increasing physical activities, limiting the consumption of red meat and processed meat can also trim down the development of colon cancer in the body. In take of red meat is positively related to the risk of the said cancer. An increase of 30 g/day of processed meat raised the relative risk rate to 1.09. They have also found that red meat is positively associated to rectal cancer and processed meat is more associated to colon cancer (Larsson et. al., 2006).
This greatly supports the suggestion of eating plenty of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables to prevent colon cancer. Due to the folate and antioxidants present in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, the probability of an occurrence of colon or other degenerative diseases is greatly decreased. Antioxidants that may be acquired from eating these kinds of food can help in silencing genes that promote cancer incidence (Svilaas et. al., 2004). These antioxidants are not only present in fruits and vegetable but also in tea and coffee.
Coffee has been proven to be the prime contributor of antioxidants in the body, amounting to 66 percent of the total antioxidants intake of the body. It has higher levels of antioxidants as compared to tea and other fruits and vegetables (Svilaas et. al., 2004, p. 565). It also has the ability to replace folate that certain amounts of alcohol intake can destroy (Larsson et. al., 2005), thus a decrease in colon cancer risk.
In other studies, regular coffee was said to have been negatively associated with colon cancer but regular intake of decaffeinated coffee demonstrated positive association with low incidence of colorectal cancer (Michels et. al., 2005).
As such, the popularity of coffee shops in the society is not only due to the success of the business. The health benefits that may be enjoyed from coffee consumption, even if the public is oblivious of it may become a great factor in keeping the people safe from the dangers of colon cancer.
This may actually be considered as a natural adaptation mechanism from all the hazards that have been created out of humans’ dissatisfaction. It may also be said that despite the various diseases that have been hastened through the endless modifications of consumer products, the entire mankind is still in search of continuously innovating and adjusting the ways and means of survival. Included in the innovation in lifestyle and eating habits is a coping mechanism in order to be free of illnesses that are threats to human life. Devised with the different vices and food preservatives, are life preservatives that one can find in the simplest things he or she consumes, simple things like a cup of coffee.
References
Cappell, M.S. (2007). From Colonic Polyps to Colon Cancer: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Screening and Colonoscopic Therapy. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18043553?dopt=Abstract
Cappell, M.S., (2008). Reducing the Incidence and Mortality of Colon Cancer: Mass Screening and Colonoscopic Polypectomy. Gastroenterol Clinics of North America. Retrieved October 8, 2008 from http://www.gastro.theclinics.com/article/S0889-8553(07)00127-6/abstract
Cho, E., et al, (2004). Alcohol Intake and Colorectal Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of 8 Cohorts. Annals of Internal Medicine140(80), 604-614
Larsson, S.C., Giovanucci, E.,Wolk, A., (2005). A prospective Study of Dietary Folate Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Modification by Caffeine Intake and Cigarette Smoking. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomakers and Prevention 14(3), 740-743
Larsson, S.C., & Wolk A. (2006). Meat Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies. International Journal of Cancer. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18251111
Lee, D. (1996). Colon Cancer. MedicineNet.com. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm#1whatis
Luhctenborg, M., et al, (2005). Cigarette Smoking and Colorectal Cancer: APC Mutations, hMLH1 Expression, and GSTM1 and GSTT1 Polymorphism. American Journal of Epidemiology 161(9), 806-815
Michels, K.B., Willett, W.C.,Fuchs, C.S., Giovannucci, E. (2005). Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Consumption and Incidence of Colon and Rectal Cancer. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97(4), 282-292
Meyerhardt, J., et al, (2006).Physical Activity and Survival after Colorectal Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 24(22), 3527-3534
Pathophysiology. (2007). Colon Cancer. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://coloncancerlive.com/2007/08/21/pathophysiology/
Poschl, G., Seitz, H.K., (2004). Alcohol and Cancer. Alcohol and Alcoholism 39(3), 155-165
Study Identifies CDK8 as a New Colon Cancer Oncogene. (2008). MediNEWS.Direct Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.medinewsdirect.com/?p=577#more-577
Svilaas, A., et al, (2004). Intakes of Antioxidants in Coffee, Wine, and Vegetables are Correlated with Plasma Carotenoids in Humans. Journal of Nutrition 134, 562-567