What cancer risks does drinking a lot of alcohol cause?

Heavy alcohol consumption has been shown to significantly increase the risk of oral cavity cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and esophageal cancer. The risk is especially higher in people who both smoke and drink alcohol.

This is explained by the fact that alcohol can help toxic chemicals in cigarettes penetrate more easily into the cells lining the mouth, throat and esophagus. At the same time, alcohol also reduces the ability to repair cells (DNA) damaged by toxic chemicals in cigarettes.

With liver cancer, drinking alcohol regularly, high concentration damages liver cells leading to hepatitis, cirrhosisand increases the risk of liver cancer. In fact, there are many studies showing a link between alcohol abuse and cancer. If you drink a lot of alcohol, the substances will stimulate the body's cells. The most obvious damage is in the oral cavity and throat. Cells damaged by alcohol try to repair themselves, which can change the DNA and this is an important step that can lead to cancer. Alcohol also damages liver cells, leading to hepatitis and cirrhosis.

In addition, alcohol may make it easier for toxic chemicals to penetrate the cells lining the upper digestive tract. This explains why the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer is much higher in people who both smoke and drink than in people who only smoke or only drink.

Alcohol affects the body's ability to absorb folate or other nutrients. For example, folate is an essential B vitamin. Poor absorption of nutrients may be worse in heavy drinkers, who often have very low folate levels. Low folate levels may be a risk factor for breast cancer.and colon. In addition, drinking alcohol can increase estrogen levels, a hormone that is important in the development of breast tissue. This may influence the increased risk of breast cancer. Other evidence suggests that drinking too much alcohol can add excess calories to the diet, causing weight gain in some people. Being overweight or obese is known to increase the risk of many different types of cancer.

For cancer patients during and after treatment, drinking alcohol will greatly affect their health. Using alcohol after treatment can increase the risk of disease recurrence. In some patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, continuing to drink alcohol can increase the risk of a new type of cancer.

During treatment, absolutely do not drink alcohol because it can be a stimulant that causes increased pain, especially in cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, etc. Alcohol can also interact with treatment drugs, increasing side effects and affecting treatment results.

After completing cancer treatment, whether or not to drink alcohol should be carefully considered and closely consulted with medical staff. In particular, pay attention to factors such as cancer type, risk of recurrence, treatment measures...