Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines
Chronic alcoholism may be linked to certain types of cancers
Simply drink with moderation and care.
Alcoholism is very common for adults who consumer more than the intended amount of alcohol. Alcoholism may be acute or chronic. Acute alcoholism occurs when there is a sudden consumption of bolus amounts of alcohol in the system. In contrast, chronic alcoholism occurs when repeated abuse of alcohol is introduced in the body. Alcoholism is not limited to adults. Teenagers (mostly high school students) consume alcohol at about the same amount as with the adults. Most Americans and other Caucasians believe that around 70% of those who consumed alcohol may eventually lead to fatal or life threatening situations. Cancer is one of the fatal diseases associated with alcoholism, most predominantly on its chronic use. In recent studies, it showed that alcoholism may be linked to the development of cancer. In the meta-analyses study conducted by Bagnardi et al., it showed that there is a strong trend in the development of cancer in the pharynx and oral cavity amongst the 253 study patients that were observed. Melanomas were also noted at small sites such as the gallbladder, cervix and kidneys. Small intestine cancer was also noted from the patients. It was concluded that most likely incidence of cancer progression amongst chronic alcohol consumers were underreported in the past. In another study conducted by Seitz et al., it was also noted that there was a high incidence of cancer progression after chronic exposure to alcohol. It was theorized that the action of acetaldehyde (alcohol metabolite processed in the body) and other mechanisms may be involved in the progression of cancer in the body. Other mechanisms may be one of the following: (1) membrane and cell injury due to the local toxic effects of the alcohol; (2) metabolism of retinoic acid and retinol alteration; and (3) induction of CYP450 2E1 which increases oxygen production that may lead to oxidative stress. These factors may activate procarcinogens that may eventually lead to carcinogens or cancer causing agents. The effects of acetaldehyde are not yet widely known but since it is the first metabolite of ethanol oxidation, it usually contributes to oxidative stress. The hallmark of cancer progression is the epigenetic alterations in the body. Chronic alcohol use may alter DNA methylation patterns which is a vital contributor in the progression of cancer. DNA hypomethylation and hypermethylation may increase the risk of having colon cancer. Alcohol may also reduce the amounts of folate present in the body. As this study suggests, reduced folate levels in the body may increase the risk of cancer progression. This phenomenon may lead to colon, breast and digestive tract cancer. There are two main mechanisms in explaining why reduced folate levels may increase the risk of cancer: (1) DNA volatility; and (2) abnormal DNA methylation process. Alcohol may also affect the one-carbon metabolism which may lead to abnormal DNA methylation process in the body. Changes in the DNA methylation process may lead to the following four major types of cancers: (1) Colorectal Cancer; (2) Liver Cancer; (3) Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancer; and (4) Breast Cancer.
How do we prevent such instances to happen? We should simply drink alcohol in moderation. In cases that we have celebrations that require alcohol, we may choose to drink alternative refreshments such as fruit juices or water to prevent the occurrence of chronic alcoholisms. If such instances will be inevitable, limit alcohol intake to one or two bottles only per session. This would ensure that our liver will not over synthesize acetaldehyde within our system. Adequate exercise and proper diet are also essential for us to eliminate alcohol in our system. Aside from these common tips, we should also join support groups against chronic alcohol abuse. This would enable us to guide and properly educate ourselves with the right consumption of alcohol in our body. It will give us adequate knowledge and common tips on how we can prevent such instances to happen. We should also help our community in alleviating this social issue by educating our youth especially high school students about the toxic effects of alcohol and how it may affect their lives permanently in the future. It is always our choice to follow healthy living but are we going to spend the rest of our lives in pain in exchange of temporary happiness? Think and act now fast!
Reference:
Bagnardi, V, Blangiardo, M, La Vecchia, C and Corrao, G. (2001). A meta-analysis of alcohol drinking and cancer risk. British Journal of Cancer (2001) 85(11), 1700–1705.
Medline Plus. 2014. Alcohol use and safe drinking. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ medlineplus/ency/article/001944.htm (Accessed 26 May 2014).
Seitz, Helmut K., Matsuzaki, Shohei, Yokoyama, Akira, Homann, Nils, Väkeväinen, Satu and Wang, Xian Dong. (2001). Alcohol and Cancer. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, Vol 25, No 5, 2001: pp 137S–143S.
Slate. 2014. Alcohol Taxes Should Be Tripled.http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/ politics/2014/05/prohibition_lite_the_war_on_drugs_has_been_a_failure_but_the_war_on_alcohol.html (Accessed 27 May 2014).
WebMD. 2014. Alcohol and Your Health. http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/faq-alcohol-and-your-health (Accessed 26 May 2014).
