Alcohol -> Cancer ???

[Pingeye2_fan]

“My doctor tells me I should start slowing it down—but there are more old drunks than there are old doctors so let’s all have another round.”
— Willie Nelson, I Gotta Get Drunk

[veryold]

Crumbs Serge. I probably knew this. If it's true, and I have no doubt it is, I'm not long for this world. Trying to cut back but I'm probably a drunk. Not an alcoholic, those people go to meetings. OK, OK. I don't drink everyday but do enjoy some wine, some beer, and a couple of good spirits per week. Hmmm, gonna miss this forum.

Are you kidding, based on how good and strong you look, u probably good for another, at least 30 years
And cheers to both of us

[Pimento Cheese]

Thank god it's good for my liver, otherwise I'd only be able to drink for enjoyment.

[Jeffc]

[Phnert]

I might have mentioned this before but asbestos wasn't the demon it is now. Victory houses for returning veterans were clad with asbestos shingles and siding.
Up to the early '70 grade school art classes used Asbestos powder mixed with water as a clay modeling substitute.

. If Alcohol causes cancer ,a viable view is that your drowning your cells in multiple choices. LOL

And I used to make asbestos ashtrays in grade two class for our valentines day gift(s) to our parents. I remember I liked th smell of the material when the teacher dropped a wad of the stuff on our desks to start working with. And when you are a little kid and you liked the smell of it, of course you took a nibble or two to see how it also tastes... Well I'm 63yrs old now so hopefully I got away unscathed???

[Fredk]

Well, something has to kill you. Might as well be something you enjoy.

[Breakpar]

Abstract

Objective


To analyse mortality and life expectancy in people with alcohol use disorder in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Method


A population-based register study including all patients admitted to hospital diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (1 158 486 person-years) from 1987 to 2006 in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Results


Life expectancy was 24–28 years shorter in people with alcohol use disorder than in the general population. From 1987 to 2006, the difference in life expectancy between patients with alcohol use disorder and the general population increased in men (Denmark, 1.8 years; Finland, 2.6 years; Sweden, 1.0 years); in women, the difference in life expectancy increased in Denmark (0.3 years) but decreased in Finland (−0.8 years) and Sweden (−1.8 years). People with alcohol use disorder had higher mortality from all causes of death (mortality rate ratio, 3.0–5.2), all diseases and medical conditions (2.3–4.8), and suicide (9.3–35.9).
Conclusion


People hospitalized with alcohol use disorder have an average life expectancy of 47–53 years (men) and 50–58 years (women) and die 24–28 years earlier than people in the general population.

[Breakpar]

What is the average life expectancy of doctors, nurse, and other medical professionals?

From Lifespan and cardiology looking the obituaries in the BMJ (UK) from January 1997 to December 2004 Not much different compared to other professionals

[Pimento Cheese]

Abstract

Objective


To analyse mortality and life expectancy in people with alcohol use disorder in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Method


A population-based register study including all patients admitted to hospital diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (1 158 486 person-years) from 1987 to 2006 in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Results


Life expectancy was 24–28 years shorter in people with alcohol use disorder than in the general population. From 1987 to 2006, the difference in life expectancy between patients with alcohol use disorder and the general population increased in men (Denmark, 1.8 years; Finland, 2.6 years; Sweden, 1.0 years); in women, the difference in life expectancy increased in Denmark (0.3 years) but decreased in Finland (−0.8 years) and Sweden (−1.8 years). People with alcohol use disorder had higher mortality from all causes of death (mortality rate ratio, 3.0–5.2), all diseases and medical conditions (2.3–4.8), and suicide (9.3–35.9).
Conclusion


People hospitalized with alcohol use disorder have an average life expectancy of 47–53 years (men) and 50–58 years (women) and die 24–28 years earlier than people in the general population.

That's different from the topic of this thread, though. Someone who drinks occasionally, per the thread topic, stands an elevated risk of getting cancer; that's not the same as someone who has an alcohol disorder -- and one so severe that they are hospitalized.

Actually, I'm not sure how revealing that study is anyway -- I'm not surprised to learn that a person with an alcohol disorder so severe that they need to be hospitalized has a shorter life expectancy. Generally speaking, I would think anyone hospitalized for any disorder has elevated health risks. That "hospitalized" thing is a bit of an indicator of poor health, in my opinion.

[Arthur Dailey]

Since I turned 18 and it became legal for me to drink (that was the age then), the cumulative total of the amount of alcohol, wine and beer that I have consumed would not fill a 'mickey' bottle.

Yet I got a double whammy back in 2019.

Sometimes the odds don't work out.

[Fredk]

Since I turned 18 and it became legal for me to drink (that was the age then), the cumulative total of the amount of alcohol, wine and beer that I have consumed would not fill a 'mickey' bottle.

Yet I got a double whammy back in 2019.

Sometimes the odds don't work out.

Yet my father, who smoked three packs a day for more than 20 years is still alive and (mostly) well at 87. Genetics.

I'm not changing my alcohol consumption. I'll just wait for the cycle where the research shows how good booze is for you.

[veryold]

Yet my father, who smoked three packs a day for more than 20 years is still alive and (mostly) well at 87. Genetics.

I'm not changing my alcohol consumption. I'll just wait for the cycle where the research shows how good booze is for you.

They play part for sure. My Mom "loved" Red Wine and was a heavy smoker since the age of 16 but still almost made it to 90, and almost a carbon copy with her Father (my Grand)

[Breakpar]

statistically, the chance you beat the odds is very low, no matter who your grand/father/mother are

[bobby Jones]

Seems nothing we do is good for us.

I grew up in a mining town. The lake I learned to swim in was a former tailings pond. A stream leading into it where we hunted frogs as kids was an odd bluish colour. We use to ride our bikes in clay like areas, where absolutely no vegetation grew, we called the cyanide flats (nothing grows there still). The park I played in when a tot had its surface layer removed last year because of metals contamination, - strictly as a precautionary measure you know - as the contaminations were measured at just below hazardous levels, of course. Wonder what those surface level measures were at 60 years ago?

As a student I worked underground in the summer. The mine I worked at, along with others, sprayed an aluminum silicate substance called Macintyre Dust (named after one of the mines there) - thought to be a preventative against Silicosis, a form of mine rock dust related lung cancer. Studies are now ongoing as it seems the Macintyre Dust was itself a carcinogen.

My dad died of cancer as did two of his siblings but they did not drink a lot.

I have had two forms of cancer myself but have been lucky enough to survive.

I'm with the horse on this.

similar to you, I grew up a couple miles away from Inco’s smelter. My friend grew up in Sarnia’s chemical valley. We always joke about which cancer is going to get us. Couple glasses of Pinot is the least of my worries!

[luv2kruz]

Several years ago I was researching elevated cholestoral and the use of statins. The numbers indicated that at a certain cholestoral level, you were twice as likely to have a choronory event. When I went to the Framington base calcuator, the risk numbers in absolute terms were something like 2% with normal cholestoral and 4% with elevated levels. So even though the risk doubled as indicated, in absolute terms, you have 98% and 96% chance of nothing happening. Big difference if 'twice as likely' numbers were 20% and 40%, instead of 2 and 4%.

Same goes with this alocohol issue. When they use the term 'elevated risk', I always wonder how they are presenting the numbers, in relative or absolute terms. It all depends on who is publishing the study and their underlying motivations.