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# Drinking milk in early life linked to advanced prostate cancer - Milk Nutrition News
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/drinking_milk_advanced_prostate_cancer_0815120756/
- Published: 2012-08-15T20:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:46:31.000Z
- Description: Tracking 8,894 Icelandic men from 1967 to 2009, J.E. Torfadottir's team found those who drank a lot of milk in adolescence were three times as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer as infrequent drinkers. Rural early residence carried 29% more risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Cancer, Avoiding Illness, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Wednesday Aug 15, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- A study released in the Jan 2012 issue of American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that drinking too much milk in early life may drastically increase risk of advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is in most cases non-aggressive, particularly those found in elderly people. But advanced prostate cancer kills tens of thousands in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

As always, doctors do not know what exactly cause prostate cancer. But the current study found men having high intake of milk in adolescence were 3 times as likely as those who only drank infrequently to develop advanced prostate cancer.

For the study, J. E. Torfadottir of University of Iceland in Reykjavik, Iceland and colleagues analysed data from 8,894 men born between 1907 and 1935 in certain areas of Iceland where milk intakes were markedly different. The men were followed for prostate cancer diagnosis and death records, from 1967 through 2009\. In 2002 through 2006, 2,268 men reported their milk intake in early, mid, and current life.

During a mean follow-up period of 24.3 years, a total of 1,123 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 371 men were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, which was defined as the disease in stage 3 or higher or prostate cancer death. 

Compared to those with their early life residency in the capital area where milk consumption was less common, those in rural residence in the first 20 years of life were at 29 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate 

Among men born before 1920, those living in rural areas were 64 percent more likely to be diagnosed with the disease, compared to their counterparts in the capital area.

The potential cancer promoting effect of milk was more significant among men who drank milk daily in their early life. Drinking milk everyday in adolescence, compared to less frequently than daily, was correlated with a 3.2 fold risk of developing advanced prostate cancer. But drinking milk in midlife or currently did not seem to increase the risk.

The researchers concluded "These data suggest that frequent milk intake in adolescence increases risk of advanced prostate cancer."