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High daily alcohol consumption over time may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, new research from the Netherlands suggests.
Dr Mirjam M. Heinen, at Maastricht University, and colleagues, identified a significantly increased risk for pancreatic cancer among men and women who consume 30 grams or more of ethanol daily - the equivalent of almost four beers, three glasses of wine or just over two servings of gin, brandy, whiskey, or liqueur.
However, Heinen and colleagues "found no association between low-to-moderate alcohol intake and risk of pancreatic cancer." The findings are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
In 1986, the investigators evaluated self-reports of daily alcohol consumption completed by 120 852 men and women between 55 and 69 years old. The subjects were enrolled in the Netherlands Cohort Study, a long-term investigation into potential risk factors for cancer.
What the researchers found
During more than 13 years of follow-up, 350 cases of pancreatic cancer occurred in this group. Of these, 79% reported drinking alcohol daily.
As noted, Heinen's group detected no increased risk of pancreatic cancer among low-to-moderate drinkers. They also found no relationship between a specific alcoholic beverage and pancreatic cancer risk.
By contrast, heavy drinkers, compared with non-drinkers, had a statistically significant increased risk (nearly 1.8-times) for pancreatic cancer in analyses that factored for age and gender.
When the investigators further allowed for smoking status, calorie intake, fruit and vegetable intake, and body mass, risk among heavy drinkers was nearly 1.6-times greater than non-drinkers, which was also statistically significant. The increased risk of pancreatic cancer among heavy drinkers was only evident during the first seven years of follow-up, they add.
Considering these findings with those of previously reported studies, Heinen and colleagues suggest, "If alcohol plays any role in the etiology of pancreatic cancer, it is likely to be among heavy drinkers."
They highlight the need for continued, long-duration investigations to further assess how heavy alcohol intake impacts pancreatic cancer risk. – (Reuters Health, May 2009)
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