ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND RISK OF COLORECTAL-CANCER IN A COHORT OF FINNISH MEN

We investigated the association between self-reported alcohol ingestio n and colorectal cancer in a cohort of male smokers in Finland. Among 27,109 men aged 50 to 69 years, 87 colon and 53 rectal cases were diag nosed during the five to eight years of follow-up. Among drinkers, col orectal cancer risk increased with the amount of alcohol consumed (P t rend = 0.01) with risk increasing by 17 percent for each drink consume d. Both beer and spirits contributed to this increased risk. Further a nalyses revealed that the positive association with alcohol was primar ily for colon cancer (P trend = 0.01). Interestingly, risk of colorect al cancer associated with drinking (cf self-reported abstinence) chang ed with follow-up time, suggesting an inverse association for alcohol early in follow-up, and a positive association after about three-and-a -half years of follow-up. Follow-up time did not modify the positive a ssociation with amount of alcohol among drinkers, however. Results als o indicated that p-carotene supplementation may attenuate the effect o f alcohol on colorectal cancer risk among drinkers. In conclusion, thi s study supports a role for alcohol in colon carcinogenesis and sugges ts that similar studies should evaluate carefully the effects of lifet ime drinking habits and recent abstinence.