world cancer report - iarc

lipoprotein-associated cholesterol, which
exerts a protective effect against atherosclerosis.
Protection is not evident for
high levels of alcohol since the beneficial
effect on cholesterol levels is probably
offset by the alcohol-related increase in
blood pressure, which increases the risk
of ischaemic heart disease. Among British
men in middle or old age, the consumption
of an average of one or two units of
REFERENCES
1. World Health Organization (1999) Global Status Report
on Alcohol, Geneva, WHO.
2. IARC (1988) Alcohol Drinking (IARC Monographs on
the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol. 44),
Lyon, IARCPress.
3. Potter JD, ed. (1997) Food, Nutrition and the
Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, Washington,
DC, American Institute for Cancer Research.
4. Bandera EV, Freudenheim JL, Vena JE (2001) Alcohol
consumption and lung cancer: a review of the epidemiologic
evidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 10:
813-821.
32 The causes of cancer
alcohol per day is associated with significantly
lower levels of risk of all causes of
mortality, compared with consumption of
no alcohol or with consumption of substantial
amounts [8]. Cholelithiasis (gallstones)
is another disease prevented by
moderate alcohol consumption.
The global effect of alcohol on health in a
given population depends therefore on the
level of consumption. The health impact
5. Tuyns AJ, Esteve J, Raymond L, Berrino F, Benhamou E,
Blanchet F, Boffetta P, Crosignani P, del Moral A, Lehmann
W (1988) Cancer of the larynx/hypopharynx, tobacco and
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Varese (Italy), Zaragoza and Navarra (Spain), Geneva
(Switzerland) and Calvados (France). Int J Cancer, 41: 483-
491.
6. Matsuo K, Hamajima N, Shinoda M, Hatooka S, Inoue
M, Takezaki T, Tajima K (2001) Gene-environment interaction
between an aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) polymorphism
and alcohol consumption for the risk of
esophageal cancer. Carcinogenesis, 22: 913-916.
may be considered with reference to the
increased risk of cancer, other diseases,
and injuries, and also any decreased risk
of ischaemic heart disease. Avoidance of
excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
would prevent a range of cancers.
7. Murray CJL, Lopez AD (1996) Quantifying the burden of
disease and injury attributable to ten major risk factors. In:
Murray CJL, Lopez AD eds, The Global Burden of Disease,
Geneva, World Health Organization, 295-324.
8. Doll R, Peto R, Hall E, Wheatley K, Gray R (1994)
Mortality in relation to consumption of alcohol: 13 years'
observations on male British doctors. BMJ, 309: 911-918.