Press releases

Health professionals “less aware than public” on myth that coffee increases risk of cancer

30 December 2009

A new survey has suggested that health professionals are more likely to believe the myth that coffee increases risk of cancer than the general public.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) survey of 143 health professionals, including nurses, health visitors and GPs, found that 36 per cent thought drinking coffee increases risk of cancer. In fact, there is no strong evidence that it increases risk of the disease.

A previous YouGov survey of the general public commissioned by WCRF found that 12 per cent think coffee is linked to the disease. While the latest survey was only of 143 people, the YouGov survey had 2,060 respondents, which means it is much more likely to be representative.

The latest survey also showed that a significant proportion of the health professionals were not aware of the convincing scientific evidence that diet, physical activity and weight are all linked to cancer risk. This is despite the fact that 93 per cent of the respondents said they talk to patients about lifestyle and cancer prevention. Awareness among health professionals was, though, higher than among the general public.

The survey found:

• 81 per cent of the health professionals were aware that having a poor diet increases risk of cancer, compared to 63 per cent for the general public;
• 79 per cent of health professionals were aware that being overweight increases risk of cancer, compared 60 per cent of the general public;
• 64 per cent of health professionals were aware that not being physically active increases risk of cancer, compared to 47 per cent of the general public;
• 78 per cent of health professionals were aware that drinking alcohol increases risk of cancer, compared to 51 per cent of the general public.

Silvia Pastorino, Health Professionals Publications Manager for WCRF, said: “There is no strong evidence that coffee increases the risk of cancer. In fact, we often suggest drinking unsweetened tea or coffee as an alternative to sugary drinks. While I am not surprised that many of the general public are not aware of this, it is worrying to think this may also be the case for some health professionals.

“It is important to emphasise that the relatively small number of health professionals who completed this survey and the fact that they come from a range of professions means it is not possible to be confident that the findings are representative of health professionals in general.

“But it does suggest that while they know more than the general public about how diet, physical activity and weight affect cancer risk, at least some health professionals who advise patients on cancer prevention are still not aware of which lifestyle factors increase and decrease risk.

“This seems to be particularly the case with physical activity and perhaps when we are working with health professionals, we at WCRF need to put more emphasis on getting across the message about the strong scientific evidence that people who are regularly physically active are less likely to develop bowel cancer, breast cancer and cancer of the womb lining.

“It is a concern to think that some health professionals are not aware that people can make simple changes to reduce their cancer risk. It is important that health professionals base their advice to patients on solid scientific evidence because the public sees them as a trusted source of information.

“Health professionals are very much on the front line when it comes to raising awareness about cancer prevention and this is why it is important they learn about it as part of their core training and continue to update their knowledge throughout their career. This survey suggests this is something that is not happening as much as it should.

“At WCRF, we keep health professionals up-to-date with the latest scientific information through our e-newsletter and I would urge any health professionals who want to make sure the advice they give patients is based on scientific research to sign up to that.”

People who want to find out more information about WCRF’s health professionals programme or who want to find out more about how to reduce cancer risk can visit www.wcrf-uk.org

ENDS

For more information contact Richard Evans on 020 7343 4253.

Notes to editors:

• The survey was conducted by WCRF staff and was completed by people who attended three conferences that were aimed at health professionals between September and November 2009. As well as being from a range of health professionals and only having a relatively small sample, the people who took part were self-selecting because they all made the decision to visit the WCRF stand.
• Of the respondents, 41 per cent were nurses; 22 per cent were health visitors; eight per cent were GPs; seven per cent were community practitioners and the rest were other types of health professionals.
• Of the respondents, seven per cent said they never talk to their patients about lifestyle and cancer prevention; 56 per cent said they sometimes talk about it with patients and 36 per cent said they often talk about it with patients.
• WCRF’s Recommendations for Cancer Prevention represent the best advice available anywhere on reducing cancer risk because they are based on the findings of Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, which is the most comprehensive report ever published on the subject.
• In February, WCRF published Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention, a global policy report that made recommendations for different groups in society. The recommendations for health professionals are: prioritise public health including cancer prevention, and food, nutrition, and physical, in core training, practice, and professional development; Take a lead in educating and working with colleagues, other professionals, and other actors (groups in society) to improve public health including cancer prevention; and Involve people as family and community members, and take account of their personal characteristics in all types of professional practice.

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About WCRF

World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) raises awareness that cancer is largely preventable and helps people make choices to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

This includes research into how cancer risk is related to diet, physical activity, and weight management, and education programmes that highlight the fact that about a third of cancers could be prevented through changes to lifestyle. For more information on the charity’s work, visit www.wcrf-uk.org

The WCRF report, called Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007 and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.dietandcancerreport.org