We’re proud of the work we do at Greenville Family Dentistry protecting our patients from oral cancer. Regular screenings are vital for adults, but prevention is the best strategy. To that end, we’ve kept up with cancer research and want to inform our patients of a new study linking oral cancer to alcohol.
The study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology differed from earlier studies by examining alcohol in isolation. Studies have long found that alcohol in combination with smoking increases the risk of cancer, but the new study found that alcohol alone is responsible for about 5% of new cancer cases, including oral cancer. It is unclear why alcohol would cause oral cancer, although researchers speculate that it damages the mouth’s soft lining, which then has to regrow, creating a risk each time that DNA will be miscopied. What did seem clear is that the type of alcohol consumed was irrelevant and that light and moderate drinking also created a risk, although heavy drinking was the most dangerous. However, the research also found that when people quit drinking, their risk of contracting cancer in the aerodigestive tract decreased.
Dr. Christopher Emuedue operates Greenville Family Dentistry at 7215 I-30, Suite B, Greenville, Texas, 75402. To schedule an appointment, call 903-455-6701 or visit GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com and fill out a contact sheet.
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