Published Aug 20, 2024

Concern For Rod Stewart’s Admitted Heavy Drinking Habit at 79– The Risks As a Cancer Survivor & Perilous Rockstar Lifestyle

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Legendary rock star and singer-songwriter Rod Stewart, 79, has admitted to being aware that life isn’t infinite and has chosen to live life to the fullest by doing what he loves—which happens to be drinking and partying with loved ones.

However, with Stewart being a two-time cancer survivor and his continued drinking habits, which have prompted worry among his friends and family, it’s important to remember alcohol has been associated with a heightened cancer risk.

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In a recent interview with RadarOnline.com, sources close to the “Maggie May” singer have expressed their fears about Stewart’s love for partying.

Sources spoke with the news outlet after photos of Stewart after a night of drinking were revealed on the internet. Something which may be shocking to those who know that Stewart promised to stop drinking as much back in 2021.

“Rod always prided himself in his ability to pound down his drinks with the best of them. But now people are afraid of the cumulative damage he’s done to himself,” sources told RadarOnline.com.

As Stewart will be turning 80 next year, he admitted earlier this year to the U.S. Sun, “I’m aware my days are numbered, but I’ve got no fear.”

He explained, “We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket. I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can.

“I say few … probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy.”

Stewart, who is finishing up his Las Vegas residency at Caesar’s Palace this month, after 13 years, added, “I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that. Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show.

“The older you get, the more you have to do that. Water has a hell of a lot to do with it. But no, you think I just have water on my rider? You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate. We go mad after every show. There are 13 of us, six women, really great musicians and I make them drink. We absolutely love it.”

It’s wonderful to know that Stewart says he’s enjoying his time, but the repercussions of excessive alcohol consumption should be taken into consideration.

The source also told RadarOnline, “Rod’s gotta realize that continued drinking will only wreck his reputation and his health.”

“It stops being cute when you’re nearly 80!”

According to RadarOnline, Stewart has also previously admitted, he’s kind of a “hypochondriac,” explaining, “I think men, in particular, should take advantage of all the wonderful medical science out there.

“I have had a good time and a good life, and I’ve enjoyed myself, so I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”

Rod Stewart’s Battle With Prostate Cancer

Rod Stewart was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 at age 71 following a routine check-up with his doctor.

RELATED: Prostate Cancer: Overview

Stewart was given the “all clear” from his doctors in 2019 following successful treatment for the disease. Previously, Stewart’s wife, Penny Lancaster, spoke about her husband’s cancer on a British TV talk show.

“It was quite aggressive and it came on really quickly, Lancaster explained. “Instead of remaining in the [prostate] gland, it had left the gland and traveled to the outside tissues.”

According to Lancaster, Stewart couldn’t be treated with surgery alone. “Knowing it had traveled outside, we couldn’t have the gland removed, so he had to have a three-month intensive course of radiation, traveling into London the same time every single day, going to the clinic.”

Meanwhile, Stewart was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer over 20 years ago, a diagnosis which led him to briefly fear that the disease would rob him of his voice.

Appearing on the British talk show “Loose Women,” Stewart talked about the alarm he experienced one morning when he woke up and “couldn’t sing a note.”

The singer played down his thyroid cancer battle, however, saying: “I had a touch of thyroid cancer; it was over and out within 10 minutes.”

Stewart then explained to the hosts that he did not want “to pretend I fought cancer for months and months” because, in his case, “it was really easy to get rid of.”

Understanding Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. The disease begins in the walnut-shaped prostate gland located between the rectum and bladder. This gland produces the fluid that nourishes sperm.

Symptoms of the disease are inconsistent and hard to pinpoint.

"Prostate cancer is a very odd disease in that it doesn't have a particular symptom," Dr. Edwin Posadas, director of translational oncology and the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai, explained.

But changes in urinary function like urinating more or less often or waking up at night to go more than usual could be a sign of the disease. It's important to note, however, that these potential symptoms could also could be caused by a urinary tract infection or even an enlargement of the prostate gland (which is not cancer).

There's No One Definitive Symptom for Prostate Cancer, But There Are Clues

Prostate cancer screening methods look for possible signs of the disease, but they can't determine for sure if you have cancer. The only way to know for sure if the patient has prostate cancer is with a prostate biopsy a procedure in which small samples of the prostate are removed and examined under a microscope. But generally speaking, screening for prostate cancer involves a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland.

Doctors that have spoken with SurvivorNet shared a hopeful outlook when considering a prostate cancer diagnosis because there are many treatment options, and there's been significant treatment progress over the past decade.

Surgical and radiation options, for example, have made improvements in reducing side effects of treatment while still providing excellent cure rates. Even for men with an advanced-stage diagnosis, many new options exist to treat prostate cancer and help them maintain an excellent quality of life.

Understanding Prostate Cancer & How Alcohol Can Play a Role In Risk

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s important to remember that most types of prostate cancers are treatable. According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. is 97.1%. There is, however, a small number of men whose type of prostate cancer may become unresponsive to treatment, for example, when cancer cells develop a resistance hormone therapy, the treatment may no longer work.

Prostate cancer begins in the prostate the walnut-shaped gland located between the rectum and bladder that produces the fluid that nourishes sperm. Outside of skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men with about one in eight men being diagnosed with this disease during his lifetime.

It’s important to remember a prostate cancer diagnosis is not always preceded by symptoms. And even when symptoms do occur, they can be inconsistent and hard to pinpoint.

“Prostate cancer is a very odd disease in that it doesn’t have a particular symptom,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, director of translational oncology and the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet.

Still, it’s important to note changes in urinary function, like urinating more or less often or waking up at night to go more than usual, could be a sign of prostate cancer. So, even if you think there’s nothing to worry about, always talk to your doctor about changes to your health when they occur.

There are many different treatment options for both early and later-stage prostate cancer including active surveillance, watchful waiting, surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The disease is one where doctors may have differing opinions on the best treatment path to take, so don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions and seek out multiple opinions.

After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Here’s How to Talk To Your Urologist

“I think it behooves the patient to have multiple discussions or second opinions, not only by the urologist who did the biopsy and diagnosed that man, but also with other surgeons and other radiation oncologist just to get a very circumspect view of what the treatment options are,” Dr. Jim Hu, a urologic oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet. “Oftentimes, I think patients need to understand that our health system is based a lot on fee-for-service medicine.

“And so therefore, a lot of physicians, I think, who are very well intentioned, will believe that their treatment is best for that particular man,” Dr. Hu added.

According to the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , consuming alcohol increases one’s risk of being diagnosed with cancer, including voice box (larynx), esophagus, colon, rectum, liver,
breast (in women) cancers.

In addition to those heightened cancer risks, the CDC also notes that studies have shown alcohol [any type – wine, beer, and liquor] may also increase one’s prostate cancer risk, as well as the risk for stomach and pancreatic cancers.

Alcohol and Cancer Risk

Rod Stewarts relationship with alcohol reminds of the connection between alcohol and cancer risk— and according to the National Cancer Institute, there is a clear link between consuming alcohol, especially drinking it regularly over time, and an increased risk of several cancers. Those cancers include head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast and colorectal.

A study published in JAMA Network Open about two years ago found that people with “heavy drinking levels had an associated higher risk” of developing alcohol-related cancers “than those who did not drink.” The study included 4.5 million participants who self-reported their drinking habits. The results concluded people who reduced their alcohol consumption lowered their risk.

Conversely, “Those with moderate or heavy drinking levels who quit drinking had a higher all cancer incidence than those who sustained their levels, but when quitting was sustained, this increase in risk disappeared.”

Additionally, the American Cancer Society warns that alcohol consumption can increase your risk for many different types of cancer. Considering cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus, for example, alcohol “clearly” increases risk. That being said, the ACS notes that drinking and smoking together puts you at a much higher risk for these cancers than drinking or smoking alone.

“This might be because alcohol can help harmful chemicals in tobacco get inside the cells that line the mouth, throat, and esophagus,” the ACS website states. “Alcohol may also limit how these cells can repair damage to their DNA caused by the chemicals in tobacco.”

When it comes to liver cancer, “long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk.” When you regularly drink a lot of alcohol, liver damage can occur and lead to inflammation and scarring a possible explanation for the increased risk.

We also know there’s a clear link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption. In November 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology published a statement citing evidence that links alcohol to multiple cancers and calling for reduced alcohol consumption as a way to cut people’s cancer risk. But many women said they had been drinking more during the pandemic, and 70 percent weren’t aware of the resulting increased cancer risk, according to a SurvivorNet survey in February 2021.

The ACS also reports that alcohol use has been linked with a higher risk of cancers of the colon and rectum with stronger evidence for this in men than in women, though studies have found the link in both sexes.

Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon and Other Cancers?

Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal cancer surgeon at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, also previously spoke with SurvivorNet, revealing she believes alcohol increases risk for certain cancers but acknowledged that the data was mixed, especially for colon cancer.

“I do think that high levels of alcohol certainly predispose to a certain number of cancers, including pancreatic and liver cancer, and may predispose to colon cancer,” she said.

“But there’s also some data that shows that low levels of alcohol, or a glass of wine here and there, may actually lower your risk of colon cancer.”

Making Decisions On Alcohol Consumption & Tips To Help You Avoid It

It’s important to note that alcohol consumption may increase the risk of developing these cancers, but it doesn’t necessarily cause these cancers. That being said, it’s hard to know what to do if you’re concerned about your alcohol intake increasing your risk of various cancers.

Dr. Heather Yeo previously stressed the importance of moderation, telling SurvivorNet, “For women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health. For men, they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects.”

If you happen to struggle with alcohol in times of stress, Victoria Martin’s story may inspire you. Martin is a breast cancer survivor and wellness coach who used her own experience to help others with alcohol addiction.

Speaking to SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, Martin shared some helpful tips and actionable steps people can use to help break unhealthy habits and cope with stress without alcohol.

Mindset: Instead of looking at it like this is something you have to give up, try making a tiny shift in your language and thinking that still feels true. Have an open mind and think about what you will gain and learn, rather than approaching from deprivation.
Be Curious: What would it feel like to experience some new thoughts and feelings to replace the worn-out ones? It is empowering to realize that you can change your patterns and see what is on the other side.
Understand This is Not the Garden of Eden: Thinking of anything as a “forbidden fruit” creates even greater cravings, feelings of resentment, and deprivation. You are simply getting curious and creating changes that you get to make. Also, emotional attachments to our habits are very real, so it is perfectly healthy to acknowledge and honor these feelings.
Create a Toolbox: Habits that no longer serve us, did serve a purpose at some point, and that is part of why we use them past their expiration date. You may be surprised at how uncomfortable some moments can be, but you can learn tools and tactics that will make it easier than staying stuck.
Find Your People: You are not alone. Luckily, there is strength in numbers and a community where you can connect with people who understand what it is like. Sharing your experience won’t just help you feel less alone, but you will be helping others.
Drop the “Shoulds”: One of the quickest ways to be defeated is by “shoulding ourselves.” Expecting to be perfect and tearing ourselves down will only lead to our maladaptive habits gaining more of a foothold. Practice speaking to yourself the way you would speak to a friend and see how kindness gets you moving in the right direction.