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NS: Alcohol linked to at least seven cancers – not just liver cancer


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Alcohol linked to at least seven cancers – not just liver cancer

 

Put down that drink. There is strong evidence that alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, a review has concluded.

 

Writing in the journal Addiction, Jennie Connor at the University of Otago in New Zealand says alcohol is estimated to have caused about half a million deaths from cancer in 2012 alone – 5.8 per cent of cancer deaths worldwide. She found evidence of a link between drinking and cancer of the mouth and throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, bowel and breast.

 

“We see the risk increasing as the amount of alcohol consumed increases, and we agree that there is solid evidence to conclude that alcohol consumption directly causes cancer,” says Susannah Brown, science programme manager for the World Cancer Research Fund.

 

Although the highest risks are from heavy drinking, people who drink at low levels are still at risk. According to Connor, there is no safe level of drinking when it comes to cancer.

 

Click on the link for the full article

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I see a lot of correlation data but no causation facts. A little speculation about dna mutations but that's it.

One could assume that people that are prone to excessive amount of alcohol consumption are also prone to other significantly unhealthy behaviors, any of which could contribute to their cancer risk.

For instance, one of the cancers they specifically mention is throat/mouth cancer. If heavy drinkers are also more likely to be smokers, would that not explain that particular correlation?

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When will they release the study correlating breathing with cancer risk?

Damn you. I was just going to post that...

Studies have shown that 100% of people with cancer drink water and breath air.

These 2 things combined increase your risk of cancer

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I see a lot of correlation data but no causation facts. A little speculation about dna mutations but that's it.

One could assume that people that are prone to excessive amount of alcohol consumption are also prone to other significantly unhealthy behaviors, any of which could contribute to their cancer risk.

For instance, one of the cancers they specifically mention is throat/mouth cancer. If heavy drinkers are also more likely to be smokers, would that not explain that particular correlation?

 

There is very little doubt that acetaldehyde, a metabolite of ethanol, is a mutagen.  The work on that is quite old

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3122032

 

In addition, ethanol affects extra-cellular and membrane structures, which affects the ability of cells to control what comes in and out of the cells, and therefore may make them more susceptible to being exposed to carcinogens that they normally would be protected from.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16000402

In general, researchers are smart enough to understand that there might be other factors and will try and take them into account.  Obviously, it is impossible to control for every factor, but given what is know of the effects and fates of ethanol, the idea isn't that controversial

 

Realistically, this is one of those things that I thought people knew

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My doctor once said "Just about everybody has cancer in their body. Its just a matter of something else getting you first, otherwise if you live long enough you'll get it." That was encouraging. :(

 

So basically, breathing causes cancer.

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Ha, people will put up with damn near anything but threaten their booze and they're up in arms!

Ever hear of prohibition ;)

I don't think anyone is "up in arms" just stating that everything seems to potentially cause cancer.

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