Alcohol Intake
Drinking alcohol has very little, if any, effect on the risk of prostate cancer and, then, only with very heavy drinking. But alcohol consumption has been linked to other cancers, notably of the digestive tract, and this has led to speculation that it may also be related to prostate cancer. A large retrospective study in 1996, including nearly 1,000 men with prostate cancer, received publicity for reporting that drinking large amounts of alcohol increased the risk of prostate cancer. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption had little effect on the risk of prostate cancer. But the amount required to cause a significant increase in risk was much higher than anyone except a hardcore alcoholic would ever drink (i.e., 57 or more drinks per week). A systematic review published two years later, including all the evidence through 1996, confirmed that low to moderate alcohol consumption has little effect on prostate cancer but concluded that there was not enough data concerning heavy drinking. More recent studies cast even more doubt on the alcohol relationship. Large prospective studies reported no increased risk for prostate cancer (National Health and Nutrition Survey) or BPH (Health Professionals Follow-up Study) at any level of alcohol intake. And, a study designed to confirm the 1996 finding of an increased risk at high levels of alcohol consumption, also refuted the previous finding. So, it appears safe to conclude that alcohol is not related to the risk of prostate cancer even in heavy drinkers, but there are plenty of other reasons not to drink excessively.
