European code against cancer 4th edition: Alcohol drinking and cancer
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is the third leading risk factor for disease and mortality in Europe. As evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs, a causal relationship is established for consumption of alcoholic beverages and cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colorectum and female breast, even at low and moderate alcohol intakes. The higher the amount of alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of developing cancer. In Europe, an estimated 10% (95% CI: 7%–13%) of all cancer cases in men and 3% (95% CI: 1%–5%) of all cancer cases in women are attributable to alcohol consumption. Several biological mechanisms explain the carcinogenicity of alcohol; among them, ethanol and its genotoxic metabolite, acetaldehyde, play a major role. Taking all this evidence into account, a recommendation of the 4th edition of European Code against Cancer is: “If you drink alcohol of any type, limit your intake. Not drinking alcohol is better for cancer prevention.”
Date Issued
2016-11-02
Date Acceptance
2016-11-02
Citation
Cancer Epidemiology, 2016, 45, pp.181-188
ISSN
1877-7821
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
181
End Page
188
Journal / Book Title
Cancer Epidemiology
Volume
45
Copyright Statement
© 2015 International Agency for Research
on Cancer; Licensee Elsevier Ltd. This is
an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND IGO 3.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/)
on Cancer; Licensee Elsevier Ltd. This is
an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND IGO 3.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000389515900030&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Oncology
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alcohol drinking
Cancer
Ethanol
Acetaldehyde
Disease
Primary prevention
Europe
POSTMENOPAUSAL BREAST-CANCER
AERODIGESTIVE TRACT CANCER
MTHFR C677T POLYMORPHISM
SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA
COLORECTAL-CANCER
POOLED ANALYSIS
UNITED-STATES
NECK-CANCER
METHYLENETETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE
HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA
Publication Status
Published