Medical Health Encyclopedia

As with heart disease, light to moderate consumption of alcohol, particularly red wine, may protect against cancer. Cancer, however, is the second leading cause of death in alcoholics (after cardiovascular disease), and alcoholics have a rate of carcinoma 10 times higher than that of the general population. Alcohol is probably not the direct cause of cancer in such cases, but most likely it increases the effects of other factors that contribute to certain cancers. The following are some examples:

• Alcohol produces enzymes in saliva that may be carcinogenic and increase the risk of upper digestive cancers in certain individuals.
• Studies suggest that alcohol, in combination with tobacco smoke, causes genetic damage that is associated with the development of cancer in the upper airways, the esophagus, the pancreas, and the liver.
• Use of alcohol has also been associated with a higher risk for breast cancer, possibly because of increased estrogen levels or because the liver overproduces certain carcinogenic growth factors in response to alcohol. The more a woman drinks, the higher the risk. Even moderate drinking poses a higher risk, although it is modest compared to heavy drinking. (Women who drink and are also taking hormone replacement therapy are at the highest risk.)
• Alcoholism is also highly associated with invasive cervical and vaginal cancers. This high risk, however, may be due to behaviors associated with both alcoholism and these cancers (e.g., smoking, promiscuity, use of hormonal contraception, and dietary deficiencies).

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Effects on the Lung

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Pneumonia. Alcoholism is strongly associated with very serious pneumonia. Over time, chronic alcoholism can cause severe reductions in white blood cells, which increase the risk for infections, particularly those in the lung. One study on laboratory animals suggests that alcohol specifically damages the bacteria-fighting capability of lung cells. (Chronic alcoholism also causes changes in the immune system, although in people without any existing medical problems these changes do not appear to be significant.)

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