Abstract
Although the effects of coffee consumption and physical exercise on the risk of cancer have been suggested, their interactions have not been investigated. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the correlation of coffee consumption and physical exercise with cancer. Participants ≥40 years old in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study 2004-2016 were included (n = 162,220). Histories of gastric cancer, hepatic cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, uterine cervix cancer, lung cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer were analyzed according to the coffee consumption groups using logistic regression models. The odds among individuals in the >60 cups/month coffee group were lower for gastric cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.80 (95% confidence intervals = 0.65-0.98)), hepatic cancer (0.32 (0.18-0.58)), colon cancer (0.53 (0.39-0.72)), breast cancer (0.56 (0.45-0.70)), and thyroid cancer (0.71 (0.59-0.85)) than for individuals in the no coffee group. Physical exercise of ≥150 min/week was correlated with higher odds for gastric cancer (1.18 (1.03-1.36)), colon cancer (1.52 (1.26-1.83)), breast cancer (1.53 (1.35-1.74)), thyroid cancer (1.42 (1.27-1.59)), and prostate cancer (1.61 (1.13-2.28)) compared to no exercise. Coffee consumption and physical exercise showed an interaction in thyroid cancer (p = 0.002). Coffee consumption was related to a decreased risk of gastric cancer, hepatic cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer in the adult population. Physical exercise was positively correlated with gastric cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and prostate cancer.