Heavy Alcohol Drinking Spurs High-Grade Prostate
Cancer, Stops Prevention by Finasteride
Four or more drinks on 5 or more days per week
doubles risk of high-grade prostate cancer
July
13, 2009 Heavy alcohol consumption is known to increase the risk in a
number of health-related conditions and a new study says you can add
high-grade prostate cancer to that list. And, the risk of developing any
prostate cancer may also increase, since this study says it stops the
preventive actions of the drug finasteride (Proscar).
Researchers led by Zhihong Gong Ph.D. of the
University of California San Francisco, examined the associations of
total alcohol, type of alcoholic beverage, and drinking pattern with
risks of total, low- and high-grade prostate cancer. They used data from
more than 10,000 men participating in the Prostate Cancer Prevention
Trial (PCPT).
They found participants who reported heavy alcohol
consumption (50 or more grams of alcohol/day) and regular heavy drinking
(4 or more drinks/day on 5 or more days per week) were twice as likely
or more to be diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer (RR: 2.01, and
2.17, respectively).
Note: The plastic cap for a bic pen weighs about
one gram. There are about 35 grams, or 1.25 fluid ounces, in a shot
glass.)
Less heavy drinking was not associated with risk.
They also compared drinking patterns with treatment
outcome among men enrolled on this placebo-controlled trial of the drug
finasteride. They found finasteride's ability to lower prostate cancer
risk was blocked in men drinking more than 50 grams alcohol per day.
They conclude heavy, daily drinking increases the
risk of high-grade prostate cancer and that heavy drinking made
finasteride ineffective for reducing prostate cancer risk.
Information Source
Article: "Alcohol Consumption, Finasteride and
Prostate Cancer Risk: Results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention
Trial." Zhihong Gong, Alan R. Kristal, Jeannette M. Schenk, Catherine M.
Tangen, Phyllis J. Goodman, and Ian M. Thompson. CANCER; Published
Online: July 13, 2009 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24423); Print Issue Date:
August 15, 2009.
About Finasteride
Finasteride (Proscar) is used alone or in
combination with another medication (doxazosin [Cardura]) to
treat benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH, enlargement of the
prostate gland). Finasteride improves symptoms of BPH such as
frequent and difficult urination and may reduce the chance of
acute urinary retention (suddenly being unable to pass urine).
Finasteride treats BPH by blocking the
body's production of a male hormone that causes the prostate to
enlarge.
It also may decrease the chance of
needing prostate surgery.
Finasteride (Propecia) is also used to
treat male pattern hair loss (a common condition in which men
have gradual thinning of the hair on the scalp, leading to a
receding hairline or balding on the top of the head.) Finasteride (Propecia) has not been shown to treat thinning hair
at the temples and is not used to treat hair loss in women or
children. Finasteride is in a class of medications called
5-alpha reductase inhibitors.
Finasteride treats male pattern hair loss
by blocking the body's production of a male hormone in the scalp
that stops hair growth.
July
13, 2009 Heavy alcohol consumption is known to increase the risk in a
number of health-related conditions and a new study says you can add
high-grade prostate cancer to that list. And, the risk of developing any
prostate cancer may also increase, since this study says it stops the
preventive actions of the drug finasteride (Proscar).