Heavy alcohol consumption associated with increased risk for prostate cancer

Consumption of ¡Ý50 g of alcohol per day or four or more drinks per day for at least five days per week was associated with an elevated risk for prostate cancer. Furthermore, drinking ¡Ý50 g of alcohol per day rendered treatment with finasteride ineffective.

Researchers analyzed data from 2,129 participants with cancer and 8,791 participants without disease from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. They examined the relationships between risk for low- and high-grade prostate cancer and total alcohol consumption, types of alcoholic beverages and consumption pattern. Researchers also analyzed the effect of alcohol consumption on the effectiveness of finasteride based on the arms that patients were randomly assigned to in the original trial.

Consumption of ¡Ý50 g of alcohol per day increased risk for high-grade prostate cancer yielding an RR of 2.01 (95% CI, 1.33-3.05). Consumption of four or more drinks per day for at least five days per week also increased this risk with an RR of 2.17 (95% CI, 1.42-3.30).

Compared with no alcohol intake, heavy drinking for at least five days per week was associated with risk for high-grade cancer (RR=2.17; 95% CI, 1.42-3.30).

Patients in the finasteride group who consumed <50 g of alcohol per day had a 29% lower risk for low- and high-grade cancer, but patients in this group who consumed >50 g of alcohol per day had a 17% increased risk (P=.03).

Separated by cancer, patients in the finasteride group who consumed <50 g of alcohol per day had a 43% decreased risk for low-grade cancer and a 19% decreased risk for high-grade cancer. However, those who consumed ¡Ý50 g of alcohol per day had a 12% increased risk for low-grade cancer (P=.03) and a 78% increased risk for high-grade cancer (P=.36).

Gong Z. Cancer. 2009;doi:10.1002/cncr.24423.