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Alcohol use and prostate cancer in U.S. whites: No association in a confirmatory study
Author(s) -
Lumey L.H.,
Pittman B.,
Wynder E.L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19980901)36:4<250::aid-pros6>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - prostate cancer , medicine , prostate , alcohol consumption , oncology , cancer , gynecology , alcohol , biochemistry , chemistry
BACKGROUND In a recent study among U.S. men with prostate cancer, alcohol consumption was associated with an increase in prostate cancer risk. This finding could have considerable public health implications. We therefore set out to confirm the reported association in a study of comparable scale, using the same alcohol exposure categories. METHODS The association was evaluated in a case‐control study of 699 white prostate cancer cases and 2,041 matched controls, admitted between 1977–1991 to 20 U.S. hospitals. RESULTS No association was seen between prostate cancer and alcohol intake comparing ever, current, and former to never drinkers, not even for the highest reported level of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS Our failure to confirm the reported association agrees with the findings of most studies that, within a wide range of alcohol intake, there is no relation between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer. However, some studies suggest that alcoholics may have an increased prostate cancer risk. This needs further exploration. Prostate 36:250–255, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.