One question you might have if you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer is whether alcohol can interfere with treatment. Here’s how alcohol can affect prostate cancer treatment and recovery.
Surgery
Drinking alcohol, especially with heavy or regular use, can increase the risk of complications after prostate cancer surgery, says Taub.
He says that people who drink alcohol before surgery face higher rates of:
- Infections
- Wound-healing problems
- Breathing troubles
- Long hospital stays
They also have a higher risk of death after the surgery, he says. The risk of death is even greater for older adults, who often have other health conditions. But stopping alcohol use for at least a few weeks before surgery, ideally four to eight weeks, can greatly reduce these complications, says Taub.
Drinking alcohol can also worsen urinary symptoms like urgency, frequency, and stress incontinence, says Helfand. These symptoms are already common if you have prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate. Many men report that stress incontinence gets noticeably worse after having two or more drinks during the recovery period after surgery, he says.
Chemotherapy
Alcohol and its by-products can stress your liver, heart, and nervous system, which may make chemo-related fatigue or nausea worse, says Taub. It can also change how your liver breaks down chemotherapy medications, changing how well they work and increasing the risk of side effects. A small research study found that 38 percent of people who drank while getting chemo for various cancers experienced complications.
Radiation Therapy
When it comes to radiation therapy for prostate cancer, alcohol use may make the treatment less effective. Alcohol promotes inflammation and weakens your immune system, both of which can interfere with healing and radiation’s ability to target cancer cells. Alcohol use during radiation therapy is also linked to poorer treatment outcomes and a higher risk of the cancer returning.
Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy
Little research has been done on alcohol consumption during targeted therapy and immunotherapy. But there appears to be similar effects seen with other treatments, such as weakening of the immune system. More research is needed on this topic to fully understand how these effects might happen, but it’s safest to limit alcohol during these treatments as well.
Taub emphasizes that people getting cancer treatment who drink alcohol face increased risks of the cancer coming back, developing new cancers, and dying from the disease. Both experts agree that limiting or avoiding alcohol before, during, and after prostate cancer treatment can help your body heal better and may improve treatment success.
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