Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men and represents a major challenge for men’s health worldwide. Despite decades of research, many questions remain about which factors may increase or decrease the likelihood of developing it. Some, such as age and family history, are well known. However, there is growing scientific interest in studying lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

The relationship between alcohol and cancer is well established for several types of cancer. However, when it comes to prostate cancer, the evidence has been less clear. Some studies have found an association between higher alcohol consumption and increased risk, while others have not observed significant differences. This lack of consensus led a group of Finnish researchers to investigate the question using data from a particularly large population.

The study, published in 2026 in the European Journal of Cancer, brought together data from six large Finnish population-based cohorts, with information collected between 1972 and 2015. A total of 82,570 men were included, allowing the researchers to analyze the relationship between different levels of alcohol consumption and the subsequent development of prostate cancer.

In addition to alcohol consumption, the researchers took into account other factors that could influence the results, including body mass index (BMI), smoking, physical activity, education, and height. The participants’ information was then linked to Finland’s national cancer registries to identify new prostate cancer diagnoses. This design allowed the researchers to follow a large population over an extended period and compare the incidence of the disease among men with different patterns of alcohol consumption.

During follow-up, the researchers identified 2,357 new cases of prostate cancer. To facilitate the analysis, participants were classified according to the amount of alcohol they reported consuming each week. Men who did not drink alcohol served as the reference group. Light drinkers consumed more than zero but fewer than five drinks per week; moderate drinkers consumed five to fewer than 14 drinks per week; and heavy drinkers consumed 14 or more drinks per week. In this study, one drink corresponded to approximately 12 grams of pure alcohol, an amount similar to that found in a regular 330 mL beer.

 

What did the researchers find?

The results showed an interesting association. Compared with men who did not drink alcohol, all three groups of drinkers had a higher incidence of prostate cancer.

Differences were observed across the drinking groups: light drinkers had an approximately 18% higher relative incidence, moderate drinkers had a 20% higher relative incidence, and heavy drinkers had a 32% higher relative incidence compared with non-drinkers.

Among participants who consumed alcohol, the researchers estimated an approximately 0.5% increase in prostate cancer incidence for each additional drink consumed per week.

However, caution is particularly important when interpreting this finding. The authors themselves describe the result as suggesting a dose-response relationship rather than providing definitive proof. Therefore, it would not be accurate to say that “each drink increases the risk by exactly 0.5%.”

What this finding does provide is a signal worth noting: the observed association was more pronounced among those who reported high alcohol consumption.

 

Figure 1. Association between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer incidence, including potential biological mechanisms such as oxidative stress, hormonal signaling, and DNA methylation.

 

How could alcohol have an effect?

The researchers propose several possible explanations. Alcohol is recognized as a carcinogen, and after it is consumed, the body must metabolize it. One of the substances produced during this process is acetaldehyde, which can affect a variety of cellular processes.

The article notes that this substance may influence mechanisms involving DNA, including DNA methylation, a process that helps regulate which genes are switched “on” or “off.” The authors also mention oxidative stress, a phenomenon that can cause cellular damage and has been associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer.

Another possible explanation involves male hormones such as testosterone. Prostate cells use hormonal signals to regulate their growth and function, and these same signals can also be used by prostate cancer cells. The researchers note that alcohol may alter certain structures within cells, such as the Golgi apparatus, and influence these hormonal signaling pathways.

These mechanisms help explain why a relationship between alcohol and prostate cancer could be biologically plausible.

 

What does this mean for men?

The findings should not simply be summarized as “alcohol causes prostate cancer,” because this study does not demonstrate that.

The conclusion is more precise and scientifically more useful: Men who reported consuming alcohol had a higher incidence of prostate cancer than those who did not drink, and the association was more pronounced among those with the highest levels of consumption.

The researchers believe their findings strengthen the evidence for a possible relationship between alcohol consumption and a higher incidence of prostate cancer. At the same time, they acknowledge that this relationship has not yet been fully established and that additional research will be needed.

It is also important to remember that cancer can rarely be explained by a single factor. Age, genetics, environment, exposures, and behaviors can interact in complex ways. Having a risk factor does not mean that a person will necessarily develop cancer, just as not having that risk factor does not guarantee that the disease will never occur.

This is precisely why studying modifiable factors is so important. We cannot change our age or family history, but gaining a better understanding of how certain habits are associated with risk can provide useful information for making more informed health decisions.

This study, involving more than 82,000 participants and thousands of cancer diagnoses, adds an important piece to the available evidence and raises a question that deserves further investigation: To what extent could reducing alcohol consumption be part of a broader cancer prevention strategy?

 

Main reference:

Tarkiainen, L., Lappi-Heikkinen, S., Seppä, K., Ryynänen, H., Laaksonen, M. A., Knekt, P., Männistö, S., Härkänen, T., Jousilahti, P., Koskinen, S., Eriksson, J. G., Heinävaara, S., Rahkonen, O., Pitkäniemi, J., & METCA Study Group (2026). Alcohol consumption increased the risk of prostate cancer: A Finnish pooled population-based cohort study. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 245, 116941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2026.116941

 

Other references:

Demoury, C., Karakiewicz, P., & Parent, M. E. (2016). Association between lifetime alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk: A case-control study in Montreal, Canada. Cancer epidemiology, 45, 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2016.09.004

Putnam, S. D., Cerhan, J. R., Parker, A. S., Bianchi, G. D., Wallace, R. B., Cantor, K. P., & Lynch, C. F. (2000). Lifestyle and anthropometric risk factors for prostate cancer in a cohort of Iowa men. Annals of epidemiology, 10(6), 361–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(00)00057-0

Rota, M., Scotti, L., Turati, F., Tramacere, I., Islami, F., Bellocco, R., Negri, E., Corrao, G., Boffetta, P., La Vecchia, C., & Bagnardi, V. (2012). Alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis of the dose-risk relation. European journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP), 21(4), 350–359. https://doi.org/10.1097/CEJ.0b013e32834dbc11