Table of contents:
- Does alcohol cause prostate cancer?
- Does alcohol affect prostate cancer symptoms?
- Can I take alcohol if I have prostate cancer?
Cancer has become one of the most feared diseases, including prostate cancer for men. Recently, a study found that alcohol actually plays a role in causing prostate cancer. Is it true?
Research has indeed proven that there is a possibility that prostate cancer is caused by drinking alcohol. Even so, this condition still needs further investigation.
The prostate is the part of the male reproductive system that is located below the bladder. The prostate surrounds the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine out of the body and helps make semen.
Does alcohol cause prostate cancer?
The possibility of alcohol causing prostate cancer is there. However, there has not been a single study that explicitly states that alcohol and prostate cancer are related. In fact, the American Cancer Society does not include alcohol as a known cause of prostate cancer.
A 2016 study concluded that men who drink alcohol are more at risk of exposure to the disease than those who don't.
In 2018, there was also a study that showed a link between a person's alcohol consumption and the risk of prostate cancer later in life. However, this study was conducted on men who had a prostate biopsy. So, it is difficult to determine the truth.
Meanwhile, several other studies looked at the large amount of alcohol consumed with an increased risk of disease. Although there is no evidence that alcohol causes prostate cancer, a 2017 survey of 611,169 participants concluded that moderate consumption of white wine increases the risk of cancer.
Conversely, consuming red wine in moderation can actually reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Does alcohol affect prostate cancer symptoms?
If alcohol has not been proven to cause prostate cancer, will consuming it then cause the symptoms to appear?
Prostate cancer may not cause symptoms until it is in a more serious stage. Performing screening is a useful process for doctors to find early signs of disease in people who have risk factors.
Sometimes, a person will experience symptoms, which may include:
- Need to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
- Difficulty urinating
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Blood in urine or semen
- Difficulty achieving an erection
- Pain when ejaculating
- Pain or stiffness in the rectum, lower back, hips, or pelvis
So, can drinking alcohol affect these symptoms? Drinking a lot of alcohol can make a person urinate more often and have difficulty achieving an erection.
Because of these similar symptoms, people may mistake alcohol for prostate cancer.
Can I take alcohol if I have prostate cancer?
When exposed to any cancer, living a healthy lifestyle is key. Eating healthy food, exercising regularly, taking time to relax and unwind are of course very important.
Alcohol can sometimes interact with drugs. The interaction between alcohol and drugs prescribed by your doctor for your treatment can make the drug work less optimally. Alcohol consumption while in prostate cancer treatment can also cause the drugs taken to have side effects.
Avoiding alcohol may be recommended by your doctor while you are undergoing prostate cancer treatment. Radiation therapy for people with cancer, including prostate cancer, can cause fatigue, as can alcohol.
Not to mention, radiation therapy can also cause a sensitive stomach. It is also similar to alcohol which can worsen the symptoms of a sensitive stomach.
That is why avoiding alcohol is perhaps the best step rather than having to worry about weighing future risks.
