22 maj 2008
Moderate Drinking Raises Risk of Mouth Cancer, Researchers Say
Drinking just two glasses of wine daily can cause a 75-percent increase in the risk of developing mouth cancer, according to Australian researchers.
The Telegraph reported May 12 that the study from the Cancer Institute of New South Wales also found that drinking a similar amount of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer among women by 22 percent, and that men increase their risk of bowel cancer by 64 percent if they consume four units of alcohol daily.
Moderate alcohol consumption also was linked to higher risk of esophageal and larynx cancer. "We don't want a general scare, but the fact is that alcohol consumption on a regular basis, even at moderate levels, can increase the risk," said Jim Bishop, CEO of the Cancer Institute. "Clearly for cardiac disease it may be that red wine is helpful, but for cancer we cannot see any benefit at all from alcohol."