ArticleJournal of gastrointestinal oncology2026
The association between coffee consumption and esophageal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current observational evidence.
Article in Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Esophageal cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, yet the association between coffee consumption-a ubiquitous dietary exposure-and its risk remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis systematically evaluates the association between coffee consumption and esophageal cancer risk, aiming to quantify the overall effect and explore potential heterogeneity. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted up to January 2026 for studies comparing coffee intake between esophageal cancer patients and healthy controls. Two reviewers independently extracted data. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random- or fixed-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Certainty of evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Results: Across 22 included studies encompassing 1,775,988 participants (7,124 cases), neither cohort nor case-control studies demonstrated a significant association between coffee consumption and esophageal cancer risk. The pooled HR from cohort studies was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.74-1.03; I2=24.2%), while the pooled OR from case-control studies was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.77-1.35; I2=66.7%). Conclusions: This meta-analysis found no statistically significant association between coffee consumption and esophageal cancer risk. The available evidence, of low certainty, does not support coffee as a major risk factor. Exploratory analyses on beverage temperature are inconclusive and require confirmation in prospective studies with standardized exposure assessment. This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024562527).
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