To Drink or Not to Drink? Investigating Alcohol’s Impact on Prostate Cancer Risk

• Published in: Cancers Vol. 16; no. 20; p. 3453
• Main Authors: Kaltsas, Aris, Chrisofos, Michael, Symeonidis, Evangelos N., Zachariou, Athanasios, Stavropoulos, Marios, Kratiras, Zisis, Giannakodimos, Ilias, Symeonidis, Asterios, Dimitriadis, Fotios, Sofikitis, Nikolaos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.10.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Alcohol dehydrogenase; Alcohol use; Aldehyde dehydrogenase; Aldehydes; Autopsies; Beer; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cohort analysis; Confounding (Statistics); Drinking behavior; Drinking of alcoholic beverages; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; Family medical history; Health aspects; Health care industry; Influence; Investigations; Lifestyles; Males; Metabolic pathways; Metabolism; Mortality; Oncology, Experimental; Physiological aspects; Polyphenols; Prevention; Prostate cancer; Prostate-specific antigen; Public health; Review; Risk factors; Tobacco; Greece; Japan; United States > US; prostate cancer; carcinogenesis; PSA levels; aggressive prostate cancer; cancer risk factors; alcohol consumption; chronic alcohol consumption
• ISSN: 2072-6694; 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers16203453

Background/Objectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant global health issue. The relationship between alcohol consumption and PCa risk has been the subject of extensive research, yet findings remain inconsistent. This review aims to clarify the association between alcohol intake and PCa risk, its aggressiveness, and the potential metabolic pathways involved in PCa onset. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed and MEDLINE, focusing on epidemiological studies, meta-analyses, cohort studies, and case–control studies. Studies evaluating alcohol consumption, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and PCa risk were included. The review also explored the roles of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in alcohol metabolism. Results: The analysis reveals a complex relationship between alcohol consumption and PCa. Heavy alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of PCa, particularly more aggressive forms, and higher mortality rates. However, studies also show weak or no association between moderate alcohol consumption and PCa. The variability in findings may be attributed to differences in alcohol types, regional factors, and study methodologies. Conclusions: The link between alcohol consumption and PCa risk is multifaceted. While heavy drinking appears to increase the risk of aggressive PCa, the overall relationship remains unclear. Further research is needed to better understand these associations and inform public health recommendations and cancer prevention strategies.