Does Drinking Alcohol Really Increase Your Cancer Risk?

Alcohol is believed to increase the risk of getting cancer in multiple ways:

• By breaking down (known as “metabolizing”) ethanol in alcoholic drinks to acetaldehyde, which is a toxic chemical and a probable human carcinogen that can damage both cellular DNA and proteins.
• By generating reactive oxygen species (ROS − chemically reactive toxic molecules that contain oxygen), which damage DNA, proteins, and fats in the body via a chemical reaction known as oxidation.
• By impairing the body’s ability to absorb and use various nutrients associated with cancer risk – such as vitamins A, the B complex vitamins such as folate, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and carotenoids.
• By raising estrogen levels, a sex hormone linked to higher breast cancer risk.

Emerging scientific and clinical evidence shows a clear relationship between alcohol consumption and risk for the various types of cancer listed below.

Head and Neck Cancers

Alcohol consumption is now known to be a major risk factor for certain head and neck cancers, particularly cancers of the mouth (not including the lips), pharynx, and larynx. People who consume 3.5 or more drinks daily have at least 2-3 times greater risk of developing these cancers than non-drinkers.

The body breaks down alcohol thanks to an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Another enzyme, called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), further breaks down toxic acetaldehyde to nontoxic substances, which are then excreted from the body via the kidneys.

Some people, particularly those of East Asian descent, inherit a version of the ALDH2 enzyme that is defective. As a result, toxic acetaldehyde is not broken down but builds up in their bodies when they drink alcohol, resulting in unpleasant side effects including facial flushing and even heart palpitations.

Usually, most people with defective ALDH2 enzymes are unable to consume a lot of alcohol. However, some such individuals become tolerant to the effects of acetaldehyde and consume large amounts of alcohol anyway. Studies have shown that these individuals have a higher risk of alcohol-related esophageal cancer – known as esophageal “squamous cell carcinoma” – as well as of head and neck cancers. But only when they drink alcohol regularly.

Also, the risks of these cancers are much higher in such people with defective ALDH2 enzyme who both consume alcohol and also use tobacco at the same time.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer – known scientifically as hepatocellular carcinoma – is diagnosed in half a million people worldwide every year. Alcohol consumption is an independent risk factor for, and a primary cause of, liver cancer. Too much alcohol metabolism in the liver is believed to increase liver cancer risk via excessive production of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased activity of liver cytochrome P450 enzymes, and alcohol-induced deficiency of beneficial antioxidants due to impaired absorption from the gut and a poor diet.

Breast Cancer

More than a hundred epidemiologic studies have examined the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in women. [Note: Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in specific populations.]

These studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer linked to higher alcohol consumption. A meta-analysis of 53 such studies (with a total of 58,000 women with breast cancer) showed that women who drank more than 3 alcoholic drinks daily had 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer when compared to non-drinkers. For every 10 grams of alcohol consumed daily, which is slightly less than one drink, a small (7%) increase in the risk of breast cancer was reported.

Similarly, the Million Women Study based in the U.K. examined more than 28,000 women with breast cancer. According to this study, for every additional drink consumed daily, the increase in breast cancer incidence was roughly 11 per 1,000 women up to the age of 75 years.

Colorectal Cancer

Alcohol consumption has been linked to a modestly increased risk of cancer of both the colon and rectum. A meta-analysis of 57 studies showed that people who regularly drank approximately 3.5 drinks daily had 1.5 times the risk of developing colorectal cancer as non-drinkers, or occasional drinkers. In other words, there is a clear association between alcohol consumption of more than one drink daily and higher colorectal cancer risk.

Numerous other studies have looked for possible links between alcohol and the risk of other cancers, such as those of the pancreas, ovary, prostate, stomach, uterus, and bladder. However, either no association has been found or the evidence for such an association is inconsistent.

https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/drinking-alcohol-cancer-risk/