Alcohol and the Risk of Renal Cell Cancer in Male Smokers

Alcohol's potential role in the carcinogenesis of renal cell cancer (RCC) is unclear. In this study, researchers assessed alcohol intake and the incidence of RCC in 27,111 Finnish male smokers aged 50–69 years. Over 12 years, 195 cases of RCC developed.

• In analyses adjusted for potential confounders, the risk of RCC in those consuming >0.2 drinks per day, compared with those consuming less, decreased as alcohol consumption increased (relative risk [RR] 0.9 for 0.2 to <1 drink per day, RR 0.9 for 1–2 drinks per day, and RR 0.5 for >2 drinks per day, P for trend=0.005).
• In analyses adjusted for beverage type, risk significantly decreased with increasing beer use and liquor use. There were too few wine drinkers in the cohort to assess the association between wine intake and RCC.
• Other risk factors (e.g., age, body mass index, number of cigarettes smoked per day) did not modify alcohol's effect on RCC.

Comments:

This large prospective study found that increased alcohol intake is associated with decreased risk of RCC in smokers. Drinkers in the highest quartile of consumption (>2 drinks per day) had the lowest risk. Because this amount is associated with adverse health consequences that are more common than RCC, results from this study should not influence current lower-risk drinking recommendations. Further, these results—though intriguing—should be prospectively confirmed in other populations before accepted.

Kevin L. Kraemer, MD, MSc

Reference:

Mahabir S, Leitzmann MF, Virtanen MJ, et al. Prospective study of alcohol drinking and renal cell cancer risk in a cohort of Finnish male smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005;14(1):170–175.