Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Drinking Alcohol Raises Prostate Cancer Risk in African Americans

Alcohol consumption may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer in African-American men, according to researchers.

A team led by Lionel L. Bañez, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., prospectively collected data, including information on alcohol intake, from 334 men undergoing prostate biopsy at Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2007 to 2009. Overall, regular consumption of three alcoholic drinks per week was associated with a significant 2.46 times increased risk of prostate cancer, the investigators reported here at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. When the investigators stratified subjects by race, alcohol intake was associated with a significant fivefold increased risk of prostate cancer in African Americans but a nonsignificant 85% increased risk in Caucasians.

“There may be genetic differences in the way African Americans metabolize alcohol,” Dr. Bañez said.

If the findings are confirmed in other populations, he and his colleagues concluded, public awareness of the negative effects of alcohol intake on prostate cancer, specifically in African Americans, should be promoted.

Most studies examining the association between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk have found no link, but these studies have involved predominantly Caucasian men, he said. Previous studies have found that certain polymorphisms of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene specific to African and Native Americans may lead to bodily accumulations of acetaldehyde, a carcinogen, Dr. Bañez explained.

The symposium is sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the Society of Urologic Oncology.

source: Renal and Urology News

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Emerson sponsors Alcoholics Anonymous

Emerson’s Center for Health and Wellness is sponsoring Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on campus, responding to a student’s initiative to offer the outlet to sufferers of alcoholism. A student-led action to offer an outlet to those prone to the accessible excesses of collegiate life, the program was founded by Brady Frome, a sophomore Theatre Education major….

An entirely different life

Alcoholics Anonymous helps local man find sobriety, happiness Tom has been sober for 27 years, but the road to recovery was far from easy. “It’s still one day at a time,” he said. “The only person that can say you’re an alcoholic is the person themselves.” Every day is a struggle. “I will always been….

Statistics show youths are drinking earlier

When Saratoga County sheriff’s deputies broke up an underage drinking party in Ballston last month and charged 22 area teens with possession of alcohol, reactions varied. Some thought the kids got a bum deal. Many, however, agreed the community as a whole needs to remain proactive in stemming teen drinking. Statistics show youths are starting….

Alcohol effects during adolescence

The festive season has come and gone. The fun will forever be cherished by those who had a fabulous time. Some will forever cherish the fun they had while others will reflect at the bad things they did. It is definitely an indisputable fact that some young blades are now addicted to the things they….

Parents renew efforts against drunken driving

The school called the meeting in response to a weekend last month when there were three car accidents involving students from the high school. Two of the accidents happened around or after 2 a.m., two involved students who had left house parties, and in one instance a student was cited for operating under the influence,….