Alcohol and Kidney Cancer

There is strong evidence from around the world that drinking alcoholic beverages reduces the risk of developing kidney cancer or renal cell carcinoma.¹

A pooled analysis of 12 prospective studies of 760,044 men and women found that "moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of renal cell cancer."²
Similarly, a prospective cohort study of 59,237 women in Sweden found that alcohol consumption was associated with a reduction in risk of kidney cancer in general and especially for women age 55 and older. Among older women, light to moderate drinking reduced the risk of kidney cancer by 56%.³
A pooled analysis of two case-control studies in Italy found "an inverse association between alcohol drinking and RCC [renal cell carcinoma]. Risks continued to decrease even above eight drinks per day (i.e. >100 g/day) of alcohol intake, with no apparent leveling in risk." ⁴
A study of a large cohort of Finnish male smokers found that risk of kidney cancer declined as total consumption of alcohol increased.⁵
Data from 88,759 women who were tracked for 20 years and from 47,828 men who were observed for 14 years suggest that alcohol reduces the risk of kidney cancer in both men and women.⁶
Compared with nondrinkers, men who drank one or more drinks per day had a 31% lower risk of kidney cancer among 161,126 Hawaii–Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort participants.⁷
A study of postmenopausal women in Iowa over a 15-year period found that those who drank alcohol, compared to nondrinkers, had a significantly lower risk of developing kidney cancer. This relationship persisted after taking into account many other confounding factors.⁸
The consumption of beer, wine and distilled spirits was associated with decreased risks for renal cell cancer among the 120,852 participants in the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS) on Diet and Cancer who were followed for over 11 years.⁹

Drinking alcohol appears to reduce the risk of kidney cancer. In addition, the moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with better health and greater longevity than is either abstaining from alcohol or drinking abusively.

Drinking in moderation has been described by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as a man consuming four drinks on any day and an average of 14 drinks per week. For women, it is consuming three drinks in any one day and an average of seven drinks per week.

A standard alcoholic drink is:

A 12-ounce can or bottle of regular beer
A 5-ounce glass of dinner wine
A shot (one and one-half ounces) of 80 proof liquor or spirits such as vodka, tequila, or rum either straight or in a mixed drink.

Standard drinks contain equivalent amounts of alcohol. To a breathalyzer, they're all the same.

There is no evidence that any particular form of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, or distilled spirits) confers greater health benefits than any other.

Note: This website is informational only. It does not provide health or medical advice and none should be inferred.

Readings on Drinking Alcohol and Kidney Cancer:

(note: listing does not imply endorsement)
Asal NR, et al. Risk factors in renal cell carcinoma: I. Methodology, demographics, tobacco, beverage use, and obesity. Cancer Detect Prev (1988) 11:359–77.
Benhamou S, et al. Risk factors for renal-cell carcinoma in a French case-control study. Int J Cancer (1993) 55:32–6.
Brownson RC. A case-control study of renal cell carcinoma in relation to occupation, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Arch Environ Health (1988) 43:238–41.
Goodman MT, et al. A case-control study of factors affecting the development of renal cell cancer. Am J Epidemiol (1986) 124:926–41.
Hu J, Mao Y, White K. Diet and vitamin or mineral supplements and risk of renal cell carcinoma in Canada. Cancer Causes Control (2003) 14:705–14.
Lee JE, et al. Total fluid intake and use of individual beverages and risk of renal cell cancer in two large cohorts. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2006) 15:1204–11.
Lindblad P, et al. Diet and risk of renal cell cancer: a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (1997) 6:215–23.
Maclure M, Willett W. A case-control study of diet and risk of renal adenocarcinoma. Epidemiology (1990) 1:430–40.
Mahabir S, et al. Prospective study of alcohol drinking and renal cell cancer risk in a cohort of Finnish male smokers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2005) 14:170–5.
Nicodemus KK, et al. Evaluation of dietary, medical and lifestyle risk factors for incident kidney cancer in postmenopausal women. Int J Cancer (2004) 108:115–21.
Parker AS, et al. Gender, alcohol consumption, and renal cell carcinoma. Am J Epidemiol (2002) 155:455–62.
Pelucchi C, et al. Alcohol drinking and renal cell carcinoma in women and men. Eur J Cancer Prev (2002) 11:543–5.
Rashidkhani B, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of renal cell carcinoma—a prospective study of Swedish women. Int J Cancer (2005) .
Talamini R, et al. A case-control study of risk factor for renal cell cancer in northern Italy. Cancer Causes Control (1990) 1:125–31.
Wolk, A., et al. International renal cell cancer study. VII. Role of diet. Int J Cancer (1996) 65:67–73.
Yu MC, et al. Cigarette smoking, obesity, diuretic use, and coffee consumption as risk factors for renal cell carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst (1986) 77:351–6.

References:

1. Risks and Causes of Kidney Cancer. LOWERS RISK: Cancer Research UK: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/kidney-cancer/about/risks-and-causes-of-kidney-cancer
2. Lee, J.E., et al. Alcohol intake and renal cell cancer in a pooled analysis of 12 prospective studies. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2007, 99(10), 801-810.This Arti
3. Rashidkhani, B., et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of renal cell carcinoma: a prospective study of Swedish women. International Journal of Cancer, 2005, 117(5), 848–853.
4. Pelucchi, C., et al. Alcohol consumption and renal cell cancer risk in two Italian case–control studies. Annals of Oncology, 2008 19(5):1003-1008.
5. Abir, S.M., et al., Prospective Study of Alcohol Drinking and Renal Cell Cancer Risk in a Cohort of Finnish Male Smokers. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2005, 14, 170-175.
6. Lee, J,E., et al., Total fluid intake and Use of Individual Beverages and Risk of Renal Cell Cancer in Two Large Cohorts. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 2006, 15, 1204-1211.
7. Setiawan, V., et al. Risk Factors for Renal Cell Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2007, 166(8):932-940.
8. Nicodemus, K.K., et al. Evaluation of dietary, medical and lifestyle risk factors for incident kidney cancer in postmenopausal women. International Journal of Cancer, 2004, 108(1), 115-121.
9. Schouten, L.J., et al. Alcohol Consumption and Mutations or Promoter
Hypermethylation of the von Hippel–Lindau Gene in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention, 2008, 17(12), 3543–3550.

Alcohol: Problems and Solutions