alcoholism) is an independent risk factor of lung cancer, especiallysquamous cell lung carcinoma.
Alcohol as a Carcinogen
Alcohol does more than just hurt the liver.
This includesmalignanciessuch asliver cancer,colon cancer,rectal cancer, breast cancer, andhead and neck cancers.
Moreover, of the studies that did exist, most were relatively small and often came to contradictory conclusions.
The link betweenlung cancerandalcoholconsumption has long been considered controversial.
This is not all that unusual a finding given that similar patterns are seen with other types of cancers.
That is, low alcohol consumption appears to have a protective benefit while high consumption increases the cancer risk.
Where lung cancer diverges is in the high rate of smoking among heavy drinkers.
With that said, lung cancer can occur in drinkers who have never smoked.
These effects can predispose a person to AUD.
Other genesADH1B, GCKR, SLC39A8, and KLBare also linked to alcohol use disorder.
What this suggests is that having a genetic predisposition for AUD may predispose you to lung cancer as well.
It is only in the presence of AUD that the risk of lung cancer appears to increase.
It is a compelling hypothesis in need of further research.
Contributing to this phenomenon is a person’sperception of wellness following cancer treatment.
Of these, 16% quit alcohol following cancer treatment.
Like cigarettes, there is no actual benefit to drinking.
And, it’s well known that quitting alcohol can be as hard for some as quitting cigarettes.
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