Alcohol intake is found to be a factor that increases the risk of a number of cancers. Any one or all of these risk factors, when combined together can be life-threatening for the affected person. These can be diagnosed as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol, especially for a prolonged period, as the studies reveal. The organs that may get cancer are:
Mouth, throat, Pharynx and larynx Breast Liver Colon and rectum(Colorectal) Stomach Ovary Lung Esophagus
ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS
Brief description is given here about a few of them.
Mouth, pharynx and larynx
The U.S National Cancer Institute has warned that alcohol drinking leads to mouth, esophageal, pharynx, larynx and liver cancer in women as well as men. Women can develop this serious disorder if they consume one drink (12 ounces for beer, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor, 5 ounces for wine) per day. For men it is two servings daily. Some of the important facts every one must be well aware of are that:
The risk for esophageal tumor is doubled in alcohol drunks in the first two years. However after a long duration of abstinence from drinking, there is a considerable reduction in the risk for getting lumps.
Every additional drink consumed daily by an individual, increases the occurrence of oral cavity and pharynx tumor by 1 per thousand (1/1000). While the incidence of esophagus and larynx cancer is 0.7 per thousand (0.7/1000)
Breast
This is now evident that breast tumors have a strong link with an excessive and alcohol intake on regular basis. The women who are habitual of taking alcohol daily have 8% higher risk of getting cancer of the breast. Every additional drink per day the incidences of this disease goes to 11 per thousand (11/1000). Regrettably, about 6% of this disorder occurred in UK annually can be prevented with a reduced drinking level (about 1 unit per week).
Liver
As you know, alcohol causes cirrhosis of the liver that in turn leads to the development of a tumor inside this vital organ. Drinking heavily forms scar in the liver that is a symptom of cirrhosis. About 5% of people with the scars get cancer and hepatic cells are badly damaged by drugs especially alcohol. Taking five or more drinks every day increases the chances of this disease to a considerable extent, according to several researches conducted by National Cancer Institute (NCI). Chances go up to 0.7 per 1000 with every additional drink taken on daily basis. In U.S the statistics for liver cancer causes are:
61% by HCC 13% by HCV( hepatitis C virus) 18 % by excessively high alcohol intake
It is the single most cause of this serious disease in Brescia, a province in northern Italy.
Colorectal
The evidence can be given from the following health organizations that have included alcohol in the list or risk factors for the cancer of colon and rectum. These are:
American cancer society Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National institute of health American society of Clinical oncology Colorectal cancer coalition and Memorial Sloan-Kettering cancer center
Stomach
There is a significant increase in the number of stomach cancer patients who got it because of heavy drinking for a longer time. The danger is high especially who are chain smokers too besides being drunks. According to a study, tobacco smoking can cause gastric cancer and alcohol consumption may promote the already worse condition.
Ovary
There can be an increase in the incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer to a small extent, among women consuming 40 grams or more every day. But the studies are ongoing to fully understand the mechanism and the link between the two.
Alcohol and Cancer Relation ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS