For years, researchers have been investigating the link between alcohol and cancer. Scientists have assumed that alcohol consumption increases the risk of several types of cancer. That assumption has now been confirmed with new research. Private MD Labs recently posted a piece that examines a study which is set to be published in January. This study confirms that a passageway, called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) likely plays a part in the process that causes cancer cells affected by alcohol to spread and grow. The study examined the activities of cancer cells within four alcoholic men and compared them to four healthy men. According to researchers, this study supports the belief that alcohol promotes cancer progression by stimulating EMT. “Our data are the first to show that alcohol turns on cell signals as well as biomarkers characteristic of EMT in cancer cells,” said the study’s co-author Dr Christopher Forsyth. “This now provides a new target for therapeutic intervention for treatment of alcohol-related cancers and for prevention of alcohol-related cancer metastasis.” It has long been known that alcohol increases the risk of developing specific cancers, such as cancer of the esophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. As a result, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends lab tests to diagnose each of these diseases. NCI notes that as many as 80 percent of patients with oral cancer are also frequent alcohol drinkers. More research and focus are needed into the association between alcohol and cancer, but the links are very clear. Those who consume alcohol – especially in large amounts – put themselves at higher risks in terms of certain cancers.
