Alcohol consumption and bladder cancer risk: Results from the Netherlands cohort study

Although several epidemiologic studies have been conducted on alcohol consu mption and bladder cancer risk, the risk according to quantity and type of alcohol consumed is not clear. The authors investigated these associations in a large prospective cohort study on diet and cancer among 120,852 subjec ts in the Netherlands aged 55-69 years at baseline (1986). Subjects complet ed a questionnaire on risk factors for cancer, including alcohol consumptio n. Follow-up for incident cancer was established by record linkage to cance r registries. The case-cohort analysis was restricted to a follow-up period of 6.3 years and was based on 594 cases with bladder cancer and 3,170 subc ohort members. The authors corrected for age and smoking in multivariable a nalyses. The incidence rate ratios for men who consumed <5, 5-<15, 15-<30, and <greater than or equal to>30 grams of alcohol per day were 1.49, 1.52, 1.16, and 1.63 compared with nondrinkers, respectively (p for trend = 0.13) . Alcohol consumed from beer, wine, and liquor was associated with moderate ly elevated risks, although most were not statistically significant The inc idence rate ratios for women varied around unity. The results of this study do not suggest an important association between alcohol consumption and bl adder cancer risk.