Breast canceris the most common malignancy in women worldwide.Teahas anticarcinogenic effects againstbreast cancerin laboratorystudies. However, epidemiologic evidence thatteaprotects againstbreast cancerhas been inconsistent. Astudywas conducted inSoutheastChinabetween 2004 and 2005. The cases were 1009 female patients aged 20-87 years with histologically confirmedbreast cancer. The 1009 age-matched controls were healthy women randomly recruited frombreastdisease clinics. Information on duration, frequency, quantity, preparation, type ofteaconsumption, diet and lifestyle were collected by face-to-face interview using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals. Compared with non-teadrinkers,greenteadrinkers tended to reside in urban areas, have better education and have higher consumption of coffee, alcohol, soy, vegetables and fruits. After adjusting established and potential confounders,greenteaconsumption was associated with a reduced odds ofbreast cancer. The ORs were 0.87 (0.73-1.04) in women consuming 1-249 g of driedgreentealeaves per annum, 0.68 (0.54-0.86) for 250-499 g per annum, 0.59 (0.45-0.77) for 500-749 g per annum and 0.61 (0.48-0.78) for >or=750 g per annum, with a statistically significant test for trend (P < 0.001). Similar dose-response relationships were observed for duration of drinkinggreentea, number of cups consumed and new batches prepared per day. We conclude that regular consumption ofgreenteacan protect againstbreast cancer. More research to closely examine the relationship betweenteaconsumption andbreast cancerrisk is warranted.

As a public health professional, would you recommend women in the US begin to drink green tea as a preventative measure for breast cancer based on the results of this study?

Group of answer choices

A and B

With caution, the study took place in Southeast China and the results may not be generalizable to US women.

Yes, all women should drink green tea for the prevention of breast cancer.

No, green tea has been identified as a risk factor for a number of conditions, and women at risk for these conditions should not drink green tea.