Alcohol Consumption and Cancer

For those who don’t care to open the link, the list of cancers the op mentions is here.

I've had two on the list - and never had more than a sip of alcohol and probably none at all in the last 25 years or so.

I find the information interesting, but in my non-scientific opinion believe that there can be multiple triggers of cancer combined with an immune system which, for some reason or other, is not destroying the cancer. I do hope that "we" can get a better handle on this (along with other chronic/ degenerative type diseases).
 
A lot (most?) people can't imagine why anyone would drink so much. But then there's those of us who considered 7 drinks per week as taking a week off. I used to have a bunch of different liquor stores and convenience stores I'd buy from, because it was embarrassing to go to the same store multiple times per week. 😬
In Wisconsin, when the liquor store clerk knows your first name, that's considered something to be proud about. I've cut back quite a bit on my alcohol intake, but I still enjoy a beer, glass of wine or cocktail on some nights--some weeks, maybe most nights. I fall into Gumby's camp on this one. Life is to be enjoyed. If alcohol isn't an enjoyment, then it isn't for you. We're all going to die from something.
 
And even 7 drinks/week only bumps lifetime risk by 1-2.5%?

Most people would do a lot better addressing long term health risks to keep enjoying a few drinks but go for a long walk everyday and lift a few weights a couple times each week.

MANY things increase cancer risk- overweight, processed foods, some artificial sweeteners, coffee (? I see conflicting reports) probably some OTC meds, etc. I have 2 oz. of scotch every night (some experts define one drink as 1.5 oz., some as 2 ounces). I measure it. Alcohol abuse killed my ex-husband so I don't want to overdo it. I just figure I should restrict my use of possible carcinogens to those I enjoy and try to exercise moderation.

I have no problem with labeling but I doubt it will do much. I think cigarette consumption plummeted not because of labeling but because of huge increases in the applicable taxes and prohibition of smoking almost everywhere.
 
I never drank much when I was young. Now, as a chronic pain sufferer from spinal issues since 2006, I typically have a drink of bourbon or scotch before bed to relax me. I also take a muscle relaxer, Tylenol and an over the counter sleep aid Unisom. Without each of these I cannot get a restful night’s sleep. For my “protection” they haven’t prescribed opioid pain relievers in years which led me to this concoction. I can’t take NSAIDs because of what they do to my kidneys. The only medical treatment doctors have for my pain management is steroids and ablations. Medicare limits ablations to once per year per spinal location. I just wish government would leave me alone to work out a reasonable treatment plan with my doctors without government interference.
 
My parents were alcoholics as they grew up in the coal mining areas of eastern Pennsylvania where miners drank heavily. Both grandparents on my Dad's side died of alcoholism under 45 years old (I have the death certificates). On the other side, my grandfather's cause of death is unknown to me, but he died early too. Grandma on that side never drank and made it into her 80's. Except for her, the other grandparents were dead before I was born.
I left home at 17 as home life was not pleasant. My sisters left as soon as they could too.

My Dad died of cirrhosis of the liver at 62, doing a full quart of vodka each day (minimum). The liquor store was right across the street from their rented house and delivered. Mom had a stroke at 60 and that seemed to stop her drinking and she lived to be 83, eventually dying of kidney failure.

One of my two sisters was an alcoholic and died at 55 from cancer. The other is OK and never drank.

I was following in my father's footsteps but saw the writing on the wall and quit cold turkey 20+ years ago (it was not easy). Both of my daughters inherited the same gene that connects you to compulsive addition and one daughter passed away at 22 years of age (opioid addiction) and the other is still OK and clean for the last 10+ years. Fortunately, I have no grandchildren as if I did they may be predisposed to an addiction too. With these kinds of family genes, generations of family members can be affected with addictive behaviors.

This stuff is tough and can ruin families.
 
Couple of things...

If they label this, there should be labels on meat, processed foods, etc.

Does Europe (Germany, Italy, etc) have a higher cancer rate with these 7 cancer types than the US? I lived in both, drinking daily there is much more prevalent, so I would suspect that would be the case.

Statistics and research can be directed (manipulated) for specific outcomes. In this case, there are so many corollary or interactive contributors I think it would be very hard to isolate.

Lastly, I am sure there are many more "accidental" deaths from alcohol than there are from cancer.

Flieger
 
US Health and Human Services has presented a study regarding Alcohol and Cancer Risk. (Perhaps this would be a good time to discuss "Dry January" again ;) .) The study suggests a fairly strong association between alcohol intake and 7 different types of Cancer.

Presented for your perusal:

To each, their own, (and YMMV!) but I grew up in an alcoholic family with alcoholic relatives. When I was 10 we moved to a small town that was in the Guinness Book of World Records for most bars (taverns, if you will) per capita. Alcohol was a daily part of most people's lives, and inebriation was the goal for most people most Fridays and Saturdays, even in high school. I saw many lives, friendships, relationships, and marriages destroyed by alcohol, so I knew by the time I was 12 that that road was not for me.

I understand that not everybody that drinks alcohol will become an alcoholic, but the risk (for me) was just too high to ever try it. The closest I've come is if I get the flu (once every 10 years or so) and need half-a-capful of NyQuil™ to knock me out so I could get some sleep to get healthy.

Besides, I prefer my grape juice un-fermented. :dance:
 
I have no problem with labeling but I doubt it will do much. I think cigarette consumption plummeted not because of labeling but because of huge increases in the applicable taxes and prohibition of smoking almost everywhere.
+100. I don't think warning labels are primarily expected to curb usage. I hate to be a cynic but I think they're so politicians/bureacrats can say they did something, and to reduce liability for (alcohol) producers and sellers (campaign contributions). 'We warned you right on the label'...

That said, I have no problem with the labeling.
 
I had wine on New Year's. I guess it's time to cut back - not even drinking alcohol on special occasions. And save a lot of money because it's so expensive.
 
I was thinking about someone I knew from w*rk whose father is late 70s, obese, diabetic and starts drinking before noon . . . every single day. At least at the time, no sign of any cancer. . .

I don't drink at all myself because I gave up consuming liquid calories to manage my weight when I was around 40. . . it was an easier change to make than giving up food!
 
I think the problem with cancer is that it can occur to anyone at any time and the cause may forever be unknown. Plenty of people develop cancers despite never having experienced any of the usual triggers.
Lung cancer in non-smokers is a prime example. And others escape it all. Jeanne Calment lived to 124 while enjoying her daily glass of wine and occasional cigarettes, and she never got cancer.

The government warnings are certainly well meant, and may even help some avoid problems, but you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
 
About warning labels, there are very few things where the epidemiological studies support an actual causal relationship. So you can't go around slapping labels on things because there's a correlation. We've all seen epidemiological studies that show correlation both ways... "one glass of wine is protective, blah, blah." Trying to apply the results of almost all epidemiology observations to your life is a fool's errand; if I spend a few hours, I could find 10 pairs of studies that indicate contradictory effect on health. If a study was able to use Medelian randomization, I might consider the study's ability to determine causality, but most of these studies are not worth the time it takes to understand them (and the gaping faults in them).

That being said, even though they say "the dose makes the poison", I tend to agree with Peter Attia that there's probably no completely safe dose of alcohol. In limited Hunter-esk fashion, I still have the weekly beer when out with my friends, and the monthly beer when I get with my brewing buddies.
 
You can also get cancer if you spend too much time in the sun or eat too much grilled meat, hot dogs and bacon.
I used to council employees who refused to wear their personal protective gear that yes, you CAN get cancer from other stuff (like sun, nitrates in food, old age, etc.) but why would you add the solvent or chemical reactant you can protect yourself from?

I strongly suspect my thyroid cancer is due to nuclear testing in the 50s. Almost no one knew how to protect themselves back then (KI tablets would have likely helped but the public didn't know and the AEC wasn't about to mention the issues associated with fallout from testing.)

We all make our own health decisions but it's good to have some data to help us do so. Accept, reject, ignore or poo-poo. But I still like to have data. Informed decision making is usually best IMHO though YMMV.
 
The closest I've come is if I get the flu (once every 10 years or so) and need half-a-capful of NyQuil™ to knock me out so I could get some sleep to get healthy.

That's my go-to OTC med when I have a cough that's disturbing my sleep. A friend who's a retired criminal attorney always worries about that- he defended a client who was committing crimes while addicted to the stuff. They found cases of it in his garage. I can think of addictions more fun that that. I get a bad cold maybe once every 6 months and may take 4 or 5 doses of NyQuil over a week. No danger there.
 
I am an alcoholic. I haven't had a drink for 1,314 days, and don't intend to ever have a drink again. One of the (many) reasons I stopped was that I could feel it destroying my throat...in my cessation journal at the time, I was literally writing about how it felt like I was going to get throat cancer from drinking. So this tracks for me.

I've always thought alcohol was given preferential treatment compared to other substances, especially given its obvious history of destroying lives. I suspect its rosy treatment is due to a combination of a huge corporate interest that can afford to buy and sell politicians, plus its widespread cultural foothold--people don't want to be told that something they've always enjoyed may be doing serious harm to them.

This doesn't matter to me much at this point, because it's a problem I've already dealt with on a personal level. But a basic application of common sense suggests booze should at least be held to a similar standard as cannabis and tobacco.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm an Eagles and Joe Walsh fan. When I first saw this video, I cried. Blessings on you.

 
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

― Hunter S. Thompson
The "Blues Mobile" effect!

 
Moderation is key to everything in life. Some smoke all their lives and don't die of cancer, but they may die from the effects of smoking all of their life.
Yes, COPD is a horrible way to die. I think I'd rather die of cancer - it's quicker.
 
My parents were alcoholics as they grew up in the coal mining areas of eastern Pennsylvania where miners drank heavily. Both grandparents on my Dad's side died of alcoholism under 45 years old (I have the death certificates). On the other side, my grandfather's cause of death is unknown to me, but he died early too. Grandma on that side never drank and made it into her 80's. Except for her, the other grandparents were dead before I was born.
I left home at 17 as home life was not pleasant. My sisters left as soon as they could too.

My Dad died of cirrhosis of the liver at 62, doing a full quart of vodka each day (minimum). The liquor store was right across the street from their rented house and delivered. Mom had a stroke at 60 and that seemed to stop her drinking and she lived to be 83, eventually dying of kidney failure.

One of my two sisters was an alcoholic and died at 55 from cancer. The other is OK and never drank.

I was following in my father's footsteps but saw the writing on the wall and quit cold turkey 20+ years ago (it was not easy). Both of my daughters inherited the same gene that connects you to compulsive addition and one daughter passed away at 22 years of age (opioid addiction) and the other is still OK and clean for the last 10+ years. Fortunately, I have no grandchildren as if I did they may be predisposed to an addiction too. With these kinds of family genes, generations of family members can be affected with addictive behaviors.

This stuff is tough and can ruin families.
Wow, aja888, your story is harrowing. So sorry you had to live through all of this. Still, life goes on and we make the best of the life we have. Blessings.
 
I think the problem with cancer is that it can occur to anyone at any time and the cause may forever be unknown. Plenty of people develop cancers despite never having experienced any of the usual triggers.
Lung cancer in non-smokers is a prime example. And others escape it all. Jeanne Calment lived to 124 while enjoying her daily glass of wine and occasional cigarettes, and she never got cancer.

The government warnings are certainly well meant, and may even help some avoid problems, but you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Heh, heh, as long as you keep your grains under the recommended maximum for daily salt. (If I'm making a point, it would be that labels only help those who want to be helped. Make them available to those people and let everyone else ignore them would be my vote.) YMMV
 
Finishing off a bottle of Kirkland 2019 Rioja Reserva at the moment.

Day 3 for that bottle......DW put some in her cooking otherwise that bottle would made it to tomorrow!

I also drink about five cups of coffee per day unless we are traveling. No sugar, just a splash of 2%. Occasional cold beer in the summer.

But no fast food or junk food, very little prepared foods, most food made from scratch, and lots of fresh salad and fruit. Only oil is olive oil other than coconut milk in the Penang curry.

No soda, no diet soda, and no diet or artificial sugar anything.

I do not think I will bother reading the warning. These warning are a dime a dozen and seem to change from year to year.

I would feel awful if I eliminated the red plonk or the coffee today...only to find out a few years from now that they actually just fine with no apparent health danger! How could I possibly make up for that lost time at my age?
 
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As a doctor, this data really doesn't impress me. The numbers are too small unless someone is a heavy drinker, which we already know is bad for you for a variety of reasons. Cancer or not, nobody should be drinking on a daily basis or having multiple drinks in a day.

My wife and I are whiskey aficionados. While our collection is nothing compared to many we know, it's still pretty impressive to most. But we only have a drink once or twice a week, and then only one drink each time. I think there are far more things likely to kill us than 1.5 oz of bourbon twice a week.
 
Alcohol worst cause is how it has destroyed lives and family and loved ones that are in addiction. I see that that as a much more concern than getting cancer from alcohol.

I did see some of it growing up with people I knew. My dad would have a drink ever so often and hated to see him have a drink. I see how it hurt so many others.

I personally don't drink and may have a beer or two in a years' time. When there may be an event we attend etc...
 
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