Q: In your column on the health pros and cons of coffee on Dec.
29, I'm surprised you didn't discuss the effect of coffee on
pancreatic cancer. Isn't that a major concern?—A.K.  A: A New
England Journal of Medicine study in 1981 did find that patients
hospitalized with pancreatic cancer were more likely to be
coffee drinkers than other patients. Earlier studies noted low
rates of pancreatic cancer in Mormons and Seventh-day
Adventists, who generally don't drink coffee. But several major
studies since then find no such association. In 2001, the
American Cancer Society concluded there was no relationship
between pancreatic cancer and consumption of tea, decaffeinated
coffee or caffeine from soda or food.  Q: You left out one
important bad factor with coffee. After my kidney stone attack
my urologist took me off caffeinated coffee.— B.S.  A: Some
urologists do tell kidney-stone patients to avoid coffee, but
others don't. This is another area where the effects of coffee
and caffeine may cancel each other out. Caf