If you are a male and you have ever been a heavy drinker or a binge drinker, your risk of developing pancreatic cancer could be much greater than men who do not drink. Just how much greater – from 1.5 times to 6 times greater – depends on how much and how often you drank to excess.
And, researchers say, it doesn’t matter when in your past that the heavy drinking occurred.
Dr. Samir Gupta, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern and lead author of the study, surveyed 532 cancer patients in the San Francisco area diagnosed between 1995 and 1999. The cancer group was matched with 1,701 control participants of similar demographics.
He found that male binge drinkers – defined as drinking five or more drinks during one episode – had 3.5 times greater likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer. And again, Dr. Gupta’s research showed that the risk was greater no matter when during their lifetimes the binge drinking occurred.
One of the Deadliest Cancers
The researchers found no greater risk in women drinkers for pancreatic cancer. But the more alcohol a man consumed, the higher his risk of pancreatic cancer compared with those who drank little or no alcohol during their lives.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, so any risk factor that can be identified and addressed may save lives,” Dr. Gupta said in a news release. “Our research found that large and frequent amounts of alcohol consumption may be risk factors for pancreatic cancer. If this relationship continues to be confirmed, reducing heavy and binge drinking may be more important than we already know.” The study was published online in the journal Cancer Causes and Control.