Alcohol & Prostate Cancer

Although some effects of alcohol consumption are well known, including weight gain and the risk for liver damage, alcohol use may also contribute to the onset of prostate cancer among some men.

Causes

• Medical researchers are investigating the possible link between prostate cancer and drinking alcohol. It is known that alcohol affects the level of testosterone and other hormones in a man's body, which may cause tumors to grow more rapidly.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Study

• In an article published in the January 2005 "International Journal of Cancer," a group of doctors at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle reported on a study of the drinking habits of men before they developed prostate cancer. The study found that consumption of red wine appeared to increase the likelihood for prostate cancer.

Expert Insight

• The team at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center concluded that there may be a link between drinking red wine and prostate cancer. The team cited certain chemicals in red wine that contribute to tumor growth---known as flavonoids---as the possible cause.

National Cancer Institute Study

• As part of the National Cancer Institute's Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), University of California researchers assessed the alcohol use and drinking patterns of nearly 11,000 men participating in the trial. Researchers focused on the effects of alcohol use and a drug called finasteride, which is used to prevent prostate cancer. The study found that men who consumed more than five alcoholic drinks per day were at an increased risk for developing prostate cancer, and that alcohol appears to diminish the preventive effects of finasteride.

Considerations

• Due to the results of these studies, the American Cancer Society advises that men limit their alcohol consumption to two drinks per day. By definition, one drink is equal to 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine and 1.5 oz. of liquor.