TNI Bureau: Even light drinking of alcohol may increase risk of cancer – a study has suggested. Normally it is assumed that only the people who intake a large amount of alcohol develop risk of cancer along with other diseases. But the study has a different story to tell.
Researchers from the University of Milan and other centres in the US, France, Canada, Iran and Sweden compiled data of about 150,000 men and women including 92,000 light drinkers and 60,000 non-drinkers and found that light drinking increases the possibility of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and breast.
The researchers reportedly found that around 34,000 deaths per year worldwide occurs due to light drinking including 24,000 deaths from esophageal cancer, 5,000 from oral and pharyngeal, and 5,000 from breast cancer.
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Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK`s chief clinician said that “This study adds to the evidence linking alcohol consumption to several types of cancer, and confirms that even light drinkers have a small but definite increase in the risk, particularly for those parts of the body, such as the throat and esophagus, that come into direct contact with alcohol.”
Light drinking in this context can be quantified as up to one drink a day or 12.5g or less amount of ethanol.
The researchers further describes about the reason of cancer of the aforesaid body organs and guesses that suggest that with cancer of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus it may be because the alcohol comes into direct contact with the affected tissue. They suggest the rise in risk for breast cancer may be associated with increased levels of estrogen, or higher levels of insulin-like growth factors that are produced by the liver after drinking alcohol.
Besides the health factor, drunkards are normally looked down upon in many societies. Hence all must try to keep them away from either large or light drinking to enjoy a sound health and to live in the society with dignity. The study was published in ‘the Annals of Oncology’.