Moderate alcohol consumption increases chance of prostate cancer: study

Australian scientists have discovered that even eventual alcohol intake increases a male's chance of contracting prostate cancer.

Researchers from the Curtin University in Western Australia (WA) said there was a "clear link" between moderate alcohol consumption and the cancer which kills 3,000 Australian men every year.

The study, published on Wednesday, revealed that a single glass of beer or wine every two weeks can increase a man's chance of developing the cancer by up to 10 percent.

Tanya Chikritzhs, leader of the alcohol policy team at the Curtin University, said that the research should prompt health professionals to rethink their stance on low-level alcohol consumption.

"The risk begins with the first drink, or even the first half of a drink, so there's no point at which we can say there is zero risk of cancer, or prostate cancer," Chikritzhs said on Wednesday.

"Even as low as one drink every 10 days, up to about two drinks day, your risk is increased by about eight percent, compared to someone who has never drank alcohol.

"By the time you get to five standard drinks or more a day, then your increases risk is about 18 percent, compared to someone who has never drank alcohol.

"It's pretty clear there's a strong relationship between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer."

The study found that it took as little as 1.3 grams of alcohol per day on average to increase the chances of developing prostate cancer by eight percent.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Australia and the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

"Past and future studies which demonstrate protection from diseases due to low level drinking should be treated with caution," Chikritzhs told News Limited.

"We now have a whole range of cancers which are on the list now in relation to being caused by alcohol, including mouth cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, probably gastric cancer, breast cancer, and now, prostate cancer.

"Alcohol consumption will need to be factored in to future estimates of the global burden of disease.

"These findings also highlight the need for better methods in research on alcohol and health."