People who stop drinking can significantly reduce their risk for cancers of the esophagus, larynx and oral cavity, report researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Previous studies have shown a relationship between alcohol and an increased risk for cancer of the esophagus, larynx and oral cavity. CAMH lead researcher Dr. J锟絩gen Rehm and his team analyzed studies from 1966 to 2006 to further investigate this association.
They found:
- The risk of esophageal cancer nearly doubled in the first two years people stopped drinking -- a sharp increase that may be due to the fact that some people only stop drinking when they are already experiencing disease symptoms.
- However, the risk then decreased rapidly and significantly after longer periods of abstention.
- Risk of head and neck cancer reduced significantly only after 10 years of cessation.
- After more than 20 years of alcohol cessation, the risks for both cancers were similar to those seen in people who never drank alcohol.
The results are published in the September issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
"Alcohol cessation has very similar effects on risk for head and neck cancers as smoking cessation has on lung cancer," said Rehm. "It takes about two decades before the risk is back to the risk of those who were never drinkers or never smokers."
Rehm notes that more research is needed on the effects of alcohol cessation on other types of cancer -- especially breast, liver and colorectal cancers. As well, more investigation is needed into the effects of different types of alcohol, drinking patterns, and the joint effects of smoking and alcohol cessation on the risk of cancer.
CAMH says the direct and indirect costs to society of alcohol abuse are high: about $5.3 billion in Ontario alone. This burden takes into account the protective effects that alcohol has shown to have on the cardiovascular system -- which has received a great deal of public attention, unlike alcohol's link to cancer, says CAMH.
