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A recent study, 'Independent and Joint effects of Tobacco smoking
and Alcohol drinking on the risk of oesophageal cancer in men
and women ' has been published in the International Journal of
Cancer (1999,82,657-64). The research concludes that moderate
drinking without smoking has a negligible effect on the risk of
cancer of the oesophagus (gullet). However, little previous research
had investigated the risks involved in combining drinking and
smoking.
The research, believed to be the most detailed study undertaken
to date, was conducted from an analysis of five different surveys
in four countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and
covering 830 cases of oesophageal cancer, plus 1,600 control subjects
for comparison.
Researchers were able to assess very detailed information regarding
types and amounts of alcoholic drinks and the cigarettes the cancer
patients used, as well as the patterns and frequency of use. the
same information was garnered from the control patients.
There was little or no increase for non-smokers who drank under
6 units (8g) a day, or for non drinkers who smoked less than 8
cigarettes a day. Elevated risks were associated with heavy use
of alcohol or tobacco, and especially high risks were recorded
for those who combined drinking and smoking, even at moderate
levels (12-fold increase for men and 19-fold among women) as compared
with abstainers. |
