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| Genes linked to reducing risk of alcohol-related cancers |
July 20, 2008
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People with particular genetic variations could be at a reduced risk of developing some types of alcohol-related cancers, according to a new study.
The study, which was partly funded by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and has been published in Nature Genetics journal, looked at 9,000 people and recorded which type of genetic variants people had for a group of genes used to process alcohol.
Then the researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France looked at whether these gene variants differed between people who had developed cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, or oesophagus. They found that people with two uncommon gene variants- ADH1B and ADH77 - seemed to be at reduced risk from drinking alcohol.
As well as raising the possibility that people who drink alcohol may be at less risk if they have these uncommon genetic variations, it is also further evidence that alcohol is one direct cause of these cancers. In fact, overall there is convincing evidence that drinking alcohol increases risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, oesophagus, breast, and - in men - the bowel. It also probably increases risk of liver as well as bowel cancers in women.
Paul Brennan, who led the study, said: “The results provide strong evidence that these two genetic variations modify susceptibility to these types of cancer.
“There now needs to be more research to help us understand what it is about these genes that seem to reduce the risk of these alcohol-related cancers.”
Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser of WCRF, said: “These are interesting results because they strengthen the evidence that alcohol is a direct cause of these cancers.
“But while people with these uncommon genetic variations appear to be at less risk of developing these cancers as a result of alcohol consumption, they are not immune and the risk is reduced by less than 20 per cent.
“We need also to know if there is any effect on other cancers, or on other diseases or life expectancy, so that the advice remains that all people should limit alcohol intake to two drinks a day for a man and one for a woman.”
ENDS
For more information contact Richard Evans on 020 7343 4253.
About WCRF
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) raises awareness that cancer is largely preventable and helps people make choices to reduce their chances of developing the disease.
This includes research into how cancer risk is related to diet, physical activity, and weight management, and education programmes that highlight the fact that about a third of cancers could be prevented through changes to lifestyle. For more information on the charity’s work, visit www.wcrf-uk.org
The WCRF report, called Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007 and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit www.dietandcancerreport.org. |
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