Study Shows That Even Small Amounts Of Alcohol Consumption Increases Risk Of Cancer In Japan
Source: Thailand Medical News Dec 09, 2019 5 years, 2 weeks, 2 hours, 24 minutes ago
In a joint study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and University of Tokyo, it was found that even light to moderate
alcohol consumption was associated with elevated
cancer risks in
Japan. In the study published early online in
CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the overall c
ancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero
alcohol consumption.
In the past, certain studies have linked limited
alcohol consumption to increase risks of certain types of
cancer, but this is the first study to indicate that even light to moderate consumption is associated with a higher risk of
cancer overall.
To research the issue in Japan, Masayoshi Zaitsu, MD, PhD, of The University of Tokyo and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and his colleagues examined 2005-2016 information from 33 general hospitals throughout Japan. The team examined clinical data on 63,232 patients with
cancer and 63,232 controls matched for sex, age, hospital admission date, and admitting hospital. All participants reported their average daily amount of standardized alcohol units and the duration of drinking. (One standardized drink containing 23 grams of ethanol was equivalent to one 180-milliliter cup (6 ounces) of Japanese sake, one 500-milliliter bottle (17 ounces) of beer, one 180-milliliter glass (6 ounces) of wine, or one 60-milliliter cup (2 ounces) of whiskey.
In all,
cancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero
alcohol consumption, and there was an almost linear association between
cancer risk and
alcohol consumption. The association suggested that a light level of drinking at a 10-drink-year point (for example, one drink per day for 10 years or two drinks per day for five years) would increase overall
cancer risk by five percent. Those who drank two or fewer drinks per day had an elevated
cancer risk regardless of how long they had consumed
alcohol. Also, analyses classified by sex, drinking/smoking behaviors, and occupational class mostly showed the same patterns.
The increased risk appeared to be explained by
alcohol-related
cancer risk across relatively common sites, including the colorectum, stomach, breast, prostate, and esophagus.
Dr. Zaitsu told
Thailand Medical News via a phone interview, "In
Japan, the primary cause of death is cancer,". "Given the current burden of overall
cancer incidence, we should further encourage promoting public education about
alcohol-related
cancer risk."
Reference: "Light to moderate amount of lifetime alcohol consumption and risk of cancer in Japan." Masayoshi Zaitsu, Takumi Takeuchi, Yasuki Kobayashi, and Ichir
o Kawachi. CANCER; Published Online: December 9, 2019 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32590). https://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.32590 
