One of the most common questions men diagnosed with prostate cancer ask is: ‘Why me?’
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men → diagnose → cancer
As a prostate surgeon for more than 40 years, I’d usually explain that it was largely down to factors beyond their control: their genes, family history, age and ethnicity.
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it → explain → control
Unlike with many other cancers, lifestyle factors weren’t thought to play such an important role.
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factors → think → role
Or, at least, that’s what we used to think.
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we → ’ → what
Because in recent years, research has begun to transform our understanding of the disease – suggesting there may be more that men can do to reduce their risk than we previously realised.
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we → begin → risk
And one emerging risk factor has come as a surprise to many of us in the field – myself included: alcohol.
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myself → emerge → field
The link between drinking and prostate cancer has long been debated, with previous research producing conflicting results.
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research → debate → results
But a major new study by Finnish researchers provides some of the strongest evidence yet that even modest consumption may matter.
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consumption → provide → evidence
Published in the European Journal of Cancer, the study analysed the drinking habits of more than 82,000 men from six population studies spanning more than four decades.
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study → publish → decades
Strikingly, the increased risk was apparent even among relatively light drinkers.
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risk → increase → drinkers
Men consuming just one to four alcoholic drinks a week had an 18 per cent higher incidence of prostate cancer than non-drinkers, those consuming five to 13 drinks had a 20 per cent higher incidence, while those drinking 14 or more a week had a 32 per cent higher incidence.
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those → consume → incidence
I want to be clear: this research does not prove alcohol causes prostate cancer, and many of the most important factors that determine a man’s risk remain beyond his control.
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that → want → control
But after more than 40 years treating men with this disease, I believe the evidence is becoming too significant to ignore.
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evidence → treat → disease
Jeremy Clarkson, who recently revealed he had been treated for prostate cancer, has said that while he has made changes to his lifestyle, he has no intention of giving up alcohol
And this matters because alcohol is woven into British life.
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alcohol → reveal → life
are habits that many of us would barely think twice about.
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many → think → us
At the same time I’ve watched colleagues and friends in my profession develop and, tragically, die from prostate cancer.
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colleagues → watch → cancer
Of course, I cannot say that alcohol was responsible for any of those cases.
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alcohol → say → cases
But findings like these inevitably make you wonder whether we have been overlooking a potentially important piece of the puzzle.
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we → make → puzzle
So what should men do with this information?
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men → do → information
I’m not suggesting that every man needs to give up alcohol completely.
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man → suggest → alcohol
The evidence simply isn’t strong enough to justify that advice.
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evidence → justify → advice
But I do think men should know that alcohol may be part of the picture – particularly because, unlike your age, genes or family history, how much you drink is something you can change.
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you → think → much
That may not be a message every man wants to hear.
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man → want → ?
Jeremy Clarkson, who recently revealed he had been treated for prostate cancer, has said that while he has made changes to his lifestyle, he has no intention of giving up alcohol.
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he → reveal → alcohol
I can understand that.
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I → understand → that
And Clarkson has undoubtedly done a great service by speaking so openly about his diagnosis.
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Clarkson → do → diagnosis
In the week after he revealed it, more than 50,000 men used Prostate Cancer UK’s online Risk Checker – six times the number in the previous week – and he has since joined calls for wider access to prostate cancer testing (see panel, above right).
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he → reveal → panel
Top Gear star sparked a surge in prostate tests
Jeremy Clarkson and David Cameron sparked a huge surge in checks for prostate cancer, simply by going public with their diagnoses.
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Clarkson → spark → diagnoses
Visits to Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk-checker rose 11-fold after both men spoke publicly about having the disease.
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men → rise → disease
While 2,000 men a day used it prior to ex-Prime Minister Lord Cameron, 59, revealing his diagnosis in 2025, more than 22,000 clicked on it the day that followed.
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that → use → it
A similar boost was seen after ex-Top Gear star Mr Clarkson, 66, announced his diagnosis on his Amazon show Clarkson’s Farm in June, with visits up from 8,425 a week to 51,000.
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visits → see → 51,000
It’s an uplift that has saved lives, said the charity, but Mr Clarkson insisted: ‘There is plenty more to do.
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Clarkson → ’ → lives
I’ll keep saying it: check your risk.
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I → keep → risk
It only takes a couple of minutes and it could save your life.’
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it → take → life
Mr Clarkson and Lord Cameron are among survivors demanding wider prostate cancer screening, which this newspaper is campaigning for.
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newspaper → demand → which
Mr Clarkson has since revealed he is now in remission, while Lord Cameron also said he is cancer-free.
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he → reveal → remission
Amy Rylance, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘So many men say a celebrity diagnosis inspired them to check their risk and in some cases saved their life.’
But his comments about alcohol perhaps illustrate just how little-known its possible link with prostate cancer remains.
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link → say → cancer
That is why I think men should at least be aware of this emerging evidence and make their own decisions about how much they drink.
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they → think → much
Current UK guidelines advise men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week – roughly six pints of average-strength beer or six medium glasses of wine.
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guidelines → advise → wine
For men regularly drinking above this level, cutting back is a sensible place to start.
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cutting → drink → level
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
