HHS HealthBeat (August 7, 2009)

Heavy drinking and prostate cancer

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Men who are middle aged and older and who have four or more drinks a day, pretty much every day, may be raising their risk of prostate cancer.

Alan Kristal of Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center saw this when looking at data on prostate biopsy results and drinking patterns.

[Alan Kristal speaks] ``Heavy drinking increases the risk of high-grade cancer. And these are the cancers that are fast-going and more likely to metastasize and cause death.’’

Regular heavy drinkers were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with high-grade cancer, but drinking less did not raise the risk. And moderate drinking – no more than two a day – is associated with better heart health. So Kristal says it’s another argument for moderation.

The study in the journal Cancer was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011