Drinking alcohol and cancer of the penis concerns many men. However, alcohol  and penile cancer are not related. That is, drinking alcohol does not increase the risk of getting the cancer.

That’s the conclusion of major health groups. They include the National Cancer Institute,  Cancer Research UK, American Cancer Society, and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Risk Factors

Anything that increases the chance of getting a disease is a risk factor. Having many risk factors doesn’t mean a person will get the disease. On the other hand, not having any risk factor doesn’t mean a person won’t get the disease.

Known risk factors for penile cancer are these.

• • Age (especially age 60 or older).
  • Smoking or using other tobacco products.
  • Lack of circumcision at birth.
  • Phimosis. That is, difficulty in pulling foreskin back from head of penis.
  • Having HIV/AIDS infection.
  • Having papillomavirus (HPV). This refers to a group of over 100 related viruses.
  • Having multiple sexual partners.
  • Having a sex partner who has had sex with many other partners.
  • Not using a condom.
  • Having had sex at an early age.
  • Not cleaning underneath the intact foreskin.
  • Having smegma. That’s a substance that can accumulate under the foreskin. It’s dead skin cells, bacteria, and oil from the skin.
  • Receiving psoriasis treatment with the drug psoralen and UV light.

Symptoms

Possible symptoms of penile cancer include these on or from the penis.

• • Sores
  • Discharge
  • Bleeding
  • Irritation
  • Redness
  • A lump

However, many other things can cause these symptoms. So it’s wise to see a doctor. Better safe than sorry.

Drinking alcohol is not a risk factor for getting penile cancer. On the other hand, the moderate consumption of alcohol is linked with better health and longer life. That’s in comparison to either abstaining or drinking heavily.

What is Moderate Drinking?

Drinking in moderation has been described by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). It’s a man having four standard drinks on any day and an average of 14 drinks per week.

A standard alcoholic drink is a

• • 12-ounce can or bottle of regular beer
  • Five-ounce glass of dinner wine
  • One shot (one and one-half ounces) of spirits. That’s whiskey, vodka, tequila, rum, gin, etc.

Standard drinks have the same amounts of alcohol. That is, it’s 0.6 of an ounce of pure alcohol.

There’s no evidence that any form of alcoholic beverage gives more health benefits. That is, beer, wine, and spirit are just as helpful.

Resources Alcohol and Cancer of the Penis

Web Pages

• • Alcohol and Risk of Dying from Cancer (You Might be Surprised).
  • Alcohol and Health
  • How Much Alcohol Should I Drink for Health & Long Life? (12 Facts).
  • Alcohol and Longevity. Important Facts for Long Life.
  • Benefits of Drinking Outweigh Harm from Abuse.

Helpful Readings

• • Bullen, K. Altered masculinity in penile cancer. Psych-Onco, 2010, 19(9), 933-40.
  • D’Ancona, C. et al. Quality of life after partial penectomy. Urol, 1997, 50(4), 593-6.
  • Eardley, I. Living with Penile Cancer. In Muneer, A. (ed) Penile Cancer. Cham, Swit: Springer, 2016, 295-301.  
  • Edwards, M. Penile cancer: Helping men to take lumps seriously. Prac Nurs, 2009, 20(6), 307-9.
  • Williams, A. Sexual Health. Detroit: Omni, 2018.