The study, performed by researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand, declares a link between alcohol and seven cancer types: oropharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, liver, colon, rectal, and female breast cancer.
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That is not to say that cancer risk is the same for any amount of alcohol consumption.
The findings came after analysis of data gathered over the past decade by the World Cancer Research Fund, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organisation’s cancer body, and other bodies.
“There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites, and probably others”.
The highest risks are from heavy drinking, but even people who drink at low levels are at risk.
According to Cancer Council Australia, 2.8% of all cancers nationwide were attributed to alcohol consumption.
“Expressions such as “alcohol-related cancer”, “alcohol-attributable cancer” and the effect of alcohol on “the risk of cancer” incorporate an implicit causal association, but are easily interpreted as something less than cancer being caused by drinking”, opines the study author, who cites the example of a USA scientist purportedly employed by “an alcohol industry body” to dispute the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on cancer risk.
“For cancer prevention, we have long recommended that people should not drink alcohol at all, but we understand that this can be easier said than done”.
According to health officials in the United Kingdom, no level of regular alcohol consumption is safe.
In England, the National Health Service (NHS) warned women who had more than two standard drinks a day increase their risk of breast cancer by 16%.
Other researchers are also in agreeance with Connor, too. Connor notes the limitations of such studies, including the use of self-reported consumption measures; lack of consumption pattern measurements; the inclusion of former or occasional consumers of alcohol in an abstainer reference group; and residual confounding factors that vary by cancer types. For every 1,000 women who do not drink, 109 will develop breast cancer.
However, Conor said that the exact scientific reasons for how alcohol could cause cancer is still undetermined. For instance, the compound called acetaldehyde, which forms when alcohol breaks down, could damage the DNA in the cells of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver tissues and could lead to cancer. Lead researcher on the project, Jennie Connor, believes the study clears up previous ambiguity on the controversial topic.
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Though coffee and alcohol are completely different beverages on many levels, the June study shows how new knowledge can really sway findings.
