Two Drinks A Day Increase Cancer Risk

Just two alcoholic drinks a day can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by more than a fifth, a study has found.  

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4932816/Two-drinks-a-day-increase-cancer-risk-by-a-fifth-say-scientists.html 

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

Roughly two drinks or three units of alcohol a day raises the likelihood of developing the disease by 22 per cent.

Consuming 30 or more grams of alcohol a day raises the likelihood of developing the disease by 22 per cent, scientists found.  

That is the equivalent of roughly two drinks or three units of alcohol, according to the researchers.  

The investigation was one of the largest ever to examine dietary factors influencing pancreatic cancer.  

Scientists analysed data from 14 studies looking at the food and drink consumption of more than 860,000 men and women.  

Of these, 2,187 were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  

Dr Jeanine Genkinger, from Georgetown University in Washington DC, said: "Our findings support multiple nutrition recommendations that men should limit intake to no more than two alcoholic beverages per day and women should limit intake to no more than one."  

They defined "a drink" as 12 fluid ounces of beer(just over half a pint), four fluid ounces of wine (a small glass), or 1.5 fluid ounces of spirits (half way between a single and a double).  

Previous studies had been unable to confirm an association between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk.  

The link was suspected because drinking is associated with pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, and diabetes. Both these conditions are known risk factors for pancreatic cancer.  

No difference in risk was seen when comparing the effect of drinking beer, wine or spirits.  

The findings were reported today in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, published by the American Association for Cancer Research.  

Dr Genkinger said: "Despite being a deadly disease, there are few known risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. At this point, it's important to understand any protective or risk factors for this dangerous disease even if the risks are weak or modest."  

The pancreas is a large gland situated behind the stomach which makes digestive juices and insulin.  

Each year, around 7,300 cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed in the UK and 7,000 people die from the disease, making it one of the most deadly cancers.