Ian Olver, the Clinical Professor Oncology at Cancer Council Australia examines the cancer risk associated with drinking alcohol in his article published in 'The Conversation':
theconversation.com/health-...
Some quotes from the above:
"One of the most interesting aspects of the International Agency for Research on Cancer's work is that, despite the baseless catchphrase “everything gives you cancer”, the evidence shows there are only a handful of proven cancer-causing agents:
tobacco
the combined effects of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity
UV radiation
alcohol consumption
viral infections such as hepatitis and human papillomavirus
asbestos
salt
industrial chemicals, many of which have been banned in countries such as Australia.
"
and
"With alcohol products, it’s the level of alcohol (and ethanol in the alcohol) that causes cancer, and most the other alcohol-related health problems."
and
"The risk equation in terms of alcohol exposure is straightforward: the more you consume, the higher the risk. As with most carcinogens, it’s continuous, long-term exposure that does the most damage.
To put some context around the stats, even by the most conservative estimates, more Australians die each year from an alcohol-related cancer than from melanoma.
The good news is that although alcohol is a proven cause of cancer, you can reduce your cancer risk by reducing your alcohol consumption. It’s all a matter of informed choice."
Neil
