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Alcohol and Prostate Cancer: Time to Draw Conclusions.

Biomolecules
January 1, 1970
Amanda J Macke et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to analyze the evidence for and against the role of alcohol, including wine, in prostate cancer development and progression.

Results Summary

The study found mixed evidence regarding wine's effect on prostate cancer, with some suggesting it may slow tumor growth, while others linked high alcohol intake, including wine, to increased risk and lethality of prostate cancer. Discrepancies arose from unaccounted factors like diet, lifestyle, and study design limitations.

Population

Men, particularly those at risk for or diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (11)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
alcohol consumption
increase
development of prostate cancer (PCa)
many comprehensive studies from different geographical areas and nationalities
-
positively correlated with
#1
wine consumption
decrease
prostate tumor growth
-
-
could prevent or slow
#2
high alcohol intake, especially binge drinking
increase
PCa
-
-
is associated with increased risk for
#3
alcohol consumption
increase
PCa lethality
-
-
directly linked to
#4
alcohol consumption
increase
prostate tumors
-
-
may accelerate the growth of
#5
alcohol consumption
decrease
progression to metastatic PCa
-
-
significantly shorten the time for
#6
ethanol metabolites
decrease
intracellular organization and trafficking
prostate tissue
-
damaging effect on
#7
alcohol consumption
neutral
prostate-specific antigen level
-
-
impact on
#8
alcohol consumption
increase
benign prostatic hyperplasia
-
-
risk for
#9
alcohol
neutral
prostate carcinogenesis
-
-
interference in
#10
alcohol
neutral
androgen deprivation therapy
-
-
possible side effects of
#11
Abstract

It has been a long-standing debate in the research and medical societies whether alcohol consumption is linked to the risk of prostate cancer (PCa). Many comprehensive studies from different geographical areas and nationalities have shown that moderate and heavy drinking is positively correlated with the development of PCa. Nevertheless, some observations could not confirm that such a correlation exists; some even suggest that wine consumption could prevent or slow prostate tumor growth. Here, we have rigorously analyzed the evidence both for and against the role of alcohol in PCa development. We found that many of the epidemiological studies did not consider other, potentially critical, factors, including diet (especially, low intake of fish, vegetables and linoleic acid, and excessive use of red meat), smoking, family history of PCa, low physical activity, history of high sexual activities especially with early age of first intercourse, and sexually transmitted infections. In addition, discrepancies between observations come from selectivity criteria for control groups, questionnaires about the type and dosage of alcohol, and misreported alcohol consumption. The lifetime history of alcohol consumption is critical given that a prostate tumor is typically slow-growing; however, many epidemiological observations that show no association monitored only current or relatively recent drinking status. Nevertheless, the overall conclusion is that high alcohol intake, especially binge drinking, is associated with increased risk for PCa, and this effect is not limited to any type of beverage. Alcohol consumption is also directly linked to PCa lethality as it may accelerate the growth of prostate tumors and significantly shorten the time for the progression to metastatic PCa. Thus, we recommend immediately quitting alcohol for patients diagnosed with PCa. We discuss the features of alcohol metabolism in the prostate tissue and the damaging effect of ethanol metabolites on intracellular organization and trafficking. In addition, we review the impact of alcohol consumption on prostate-specific antigen level and the risk for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Lastly, we highlight the known mechanisms of alcohol interference in prostate carcinogenesis and the possible side effects of alcohol during androgen deprivation therapy.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Alcohol DrinkingAndrogen AntagonistsEthanolHumansMaleProstateProstatic NeoplasmsRisk Factors
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety30
Efficacy50/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations28
Citations/Year9.3
Relative Citation Ratio3.61
NIH Percentile88.5%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score1.72
Normalized Score0.47
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