Heavy drinking tied to higher stomach cancer risk

Men who down more than four alcoholic drinks in a day may have a heightened risk of stomach cancer, a large European analysis suggests.

A number of studies have looked at whether people's drinking habits are related to their risk of stomach cancer, and come to mixed conclusions.

A man drinks a glass of beer in a restaurant in Munich, Germany (Bloomberg)

These latest findings, from a study of more than 500,000 European adults, suggest that heavy-drinking men are more likely to develop the cancer than light drinkers are.

At the start of the study, 10,000-plus men said they averaged more than four drinks per day. And their odds of developing stomach cancer over the next decade were twice those of light drinkers (who had the equivalent of about half a drink per day or less).

When the researchers looked more closely at the type of alcohol people consumed, they found that beer, in particular -- as opposed to wine or liquor -- seemed to be connected to stomach cancer risk.

There were no similar connections seen in women, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Eric J. Duell of the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Barcelona, Spain. But there were also far fewer heavy drinkers among the female participants (just under 2,300).

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, do not prove that alcohol itself leads to stomach cancer in some men.

And the absolute risk for any one heavy drinker may be small. Of nearly 13,000 men and women who were heavy drinkers when they entered the study, just 33 developed stomach cancer over the follow-up period.

Still, experts already recommend that people who drink do so only in moderation. That generally means no more than two drinks per day for men, and no more than one for women.

Heavy drinking is linked to cancers of the mouth and throat, as well as other serious conditions like scarring of the liver.

Stomach cancer is relatively uncommon in the U.S. and other Western countries, though it's much more prevalent in other parts of the world, particularly developing nations. About 21,500 Americans will be diagnosed with stomach cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Smoking is one of the risk factors for the disease. And in some past studies, it's been hard to separate the possible effects of heavy drinking on stomach cancer from those of smoking -- since the same people often have both habits.

In the current study, though, Duell's team found that heavy drinking was linked to stomach cancer in men regardless of smoking habits.

The link also held when the researchers factored in people's diet habits (red and processed meats, for example, have been tied to stomach cancer) and any infection with H. pylori -- a type of bacteria that contributes to ulcers.

While most people with H. pylori do not develop cancer, persistent infection is thought to raise the risk of stomach cancer in certain people.

If heavy drinking is a cause of stomach cancer, it may be related to one of the metabolic byproducts of alcohol -- called acetaldehyde. The substance is a known human carcinogen, Duell's team notes.

On top of that, beer contains compounds known as nitrosamines, which cause cancer in animals. So it's possible, the researchers speculate, that the combination of those substances and acetaldehyde could explain why beer, in particular, was tied to stomach cancer in this study. (Reuters)

<한글 기사>

폭음, 위암 위험 높인다

폭음이 위암을 부를 수 있다는 연구결과가 나왔다.

스페인 카탈란 종양연구소의 에릭 두엘(Eric Duell) 박사는 하루 술을 4잔 이상 마시는 남성은 한 잔 이하 마시는 남성에 비해 10년 안에 위암이 발생할 가능성이 2 배 높다고 밝혔다.

두엘 박사는 유럽 성인 50여만명을 대상으로 장기간에 걸쳐 실시한 조사분석 결 과 이 같은 사실이 밝혀졌다고 말했다.

그러나 전체적으로 절대적인 위험은 1만3천명 33명꼴로 비교적 낮았다.

여성은 이러한 연관성이 나타나지 않았는데 이는 폭음 여성이 전체 조사대상자 중 2천300명에 불과했기 때문일 수 있다. 

연구팀은 남성의 경우 위암 위험인자인 흡연, 적색육 과다섭취 같은 생활-식사 습관과 위암을 유발할 수 있는 것으로 알려진 위장 박테리아인 헬리코박터 파일로리 감염 등을 고려했지만 폭음과 위암 사이의 연관성에는 변함이 없었다. 

폭음-위암의 연관성은 알코올이 대사되는 과정에서 만들어지는 부산물로 인간 발암물질로 알려진 아세트알데히드 때문일 수 있다고 두엘 박사는 말했다.

술 종류별로는 맥주가 포도주나 독주보다 위암과 연관성이 큰 것으로 나타났다.

이는 맥주에는 동물에 암을 일으키는 것으로 알려진 니트로사민이란 물질이 함유되어 있기 때문일 것으로 두엘 박사는 추정했다. 

폭음은 위암 외에도 구강암과 식도암 위험을 증가시키는 것으로 알려져 있다.

이 연구결과는 미국 임상영양학 저널(American Journal of Nutrition) 최신호에 실렸다.