Increased alcohol use linked with higher risk of cancer in new study


The study found that those who increased their drinking habits had a higher risk of all cancers, including alcohol-related cancers, than the group who did not change their drinking habits.

The risk also increased for non-drinkers who changed their habits and became light, moderate, or heavy drinkers.

“This is another great example of how changing behavior can significantly reduce cancer deaths,” Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, told CNN in an email. “The most important finding is the effect on cancer deaths with changes in alcohol consumption. Individuals should be strongly advised that they can dramatically reduce their cancer risk if alcohol consumption is controlled. can.”

The study looked at data from more than 4.5 million participants. Study participants were from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, were 40 years of age and older, had participated in a national health screening in 2009 and 2011, and had available data on their drinking status.

“In this large cohort study, which used repeated measures of alcohol consumption, we found that individuals who increased their alcohol consumption, regardless of their baseline drinking level, found alcohol-related and all The incidence of cancer increased those who maintained their current level of drinking,” wrote the study authors from Seoul National University Hospital. “Quitting was not associated with a lower incidence of alcohol-related cancers, but if abstinence was maintained over time, there was a reduction in the incidence of alcohol-related and all cancers.”

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In people who increased their drinking by not drinking, researchers found a higher incidence of stomach, liver, gallbladder and lung cancers, multiple myeloma and leukemia.

They also found that there was an association between a reduction in the risk of alcohol-related and all cancers and moderate or mild drinking from heavy drinking.

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Although the study has major strengths, such as the group size and large number of cases, it also has some limitations, according to an accompanying editorial from experts at the National Cancer Institute.

First, the two assessments of alcohol use occurred two years apart with a maximum follow-up of seven years and the authors did not have details about participants’ alcohol consumption earlier in life, meaning they did not examine long-term changes. can do.

It also lacked information on other healthy behaviors that may have been accompanied by a reduction in alcohol intake, so the change in risk cannot be attributed to alcohol use alone.

There was also no discussion about alcohol-induced flushing and an inherited deficiency in an enzyme involved in breaking down alcohol, which is common in East Asian populations. The editorial authors said further research is needed in other racial and ethnic groups.

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Despite the limitations, the editorial authors noted that the research provides “important, new findings about the potential role of changes in alcohol consumption in cancer risk” and suggest that future studies follow its lead and that of other populations. Check association in and use longer intervals between assessments. ,

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The American Cancer Society calls alcohol use “one of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer, along with tobacco use and excess body weight.”

The organization says that drinking alcohol accounts for about 6% of all cancers in the US and 4% of all cancer deaths.

According to the ACS and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking alcohol can increase the risk of six types of cancer: mouth and throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, liver and breast in women.

The ACS also says that alcohol consumption probably increases the risk of colon cancer and some others.

“For each of these cancers, the more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk,” the ACS says. “But for some types of cancer, especially breast cancer, consuming even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk.”

“I think it’s very important that people realize that heavy alcohol use can significantly increase the risk of cancer,” Dahut said. “Unfortunately, although this is not a new finding, this information will be very surprising to many. It is imperative that clinicians inform patients of this risk and provide the necessary tools to help patients modify this behavior. Do it.”



(This story has not been edited by seemayo staff and is published from a rss feed)

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