Health & Medicine
Experts Warn: Alcohol Drinking May Cause Skin Cancer
Vanishree Bhatt
First Posted: Feb 01, 2014 07:44 AM EST
Regular drinking of alcohol increases the risk of developing melanoma by 55 percent, says a British study.
A meta analysis of 16 previous studies was done by the researchers on the effect of moderate and heavy drinking on the risk of developing skin cancer. One drink of alcohol ( 1.25 gms) or more a day increased the risk of melanoma by 20 percent found the researchers. Light drinkers who have less than one drink have 10 percent increased risk of skin cancer. The extra risk factor is due to reckless sun exposure.
Melanoma is the fifth deadliest form of cancer in the U.K. with approximately 13,000 cases annually. About 3.6% of all cancers ( 5.2% in men, 1.7% in women) are linked to alcohol drinking worldwide.
Alcohol causes biological changes that make the skin sensitive to light and aggravate the impact with exposure to ultra violet rays. It is not fully established how alcohol consumption increases chances of melanoma, scientists say ethanol converts to acetaldehyde soon after it is ingested. The acetaldehyde acts as a photosensitiser making skin extremely sensitive to light, which in turn generates molecules called 'reactive oxygen species' that are damaging to the skin cells.
Dr Eva Negri, one of the authors of the study, said: "We know that in the presence of UV radiation, drinking alcohol can alter the body's immunocompetence, the ability to produce a normal immune response. This can lead to far greater cellular damage and subsequently cause skin cancers to form. This study aimed to quantify the extent to which the melanoma risk is increased with alcohol intake, and we hope that armed with this knowledge people can better protect themselves in the sun."
Alcohol consumption also impairs behavior and judgment leading drinkers to spend longer time in the sun. Professor Chris Bunker, President of the British Association of Dermatologists said in a press release "We would always urge people to be careful in the sun and try to enjoy it responsibly. Many of us have seen holiday makers who have been caught unawares the day before, fuzzy-headed and lobster red - an unwelcome combination."
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First Posted: Feb 01, 2014 07:44 AM EST
Regular drinking of alcohol increases the risk of developing melanoma by 55 percent, says a British study.
A meta analysis of 16 previous studies was done by the researchers on the effect of moderate and heavy drinking on the risk of developing skin cancer. One drink of alcohol ( 1.25 gms) or more a day increased the risk of melanoma by 20 percent found the researchers. Light drinkers who have less than one drink have 10 percent increased risk of skin cancer. The extra risk factor is due to reckless sun exposure.
Melanoma is the fifth deadliest form of cancer in the U.K. with approximately 13,000 cases annually. About 3.6% of all cancers ( 5.2% in men, 1.7% in women) are linked to alcohol drinking worldwide.
Alcohol causes biological changes that make the skin sensitive to light and aggravate the impact with exposure to ultra violet rays. It is not fully established how alcohol consumption increases chances of melanoma, scientists say ethanol converts to acetaldehyde soon after it is ingested. The acetaldehyde acts as a photosensitiser making skin extremely sensitive to light, which in turn generates molecules called 'reactive oxygen species' that are damaging to the skin cells.
Dr Eva Negri, one of the authors of the study, said: "We know that in the presence of UV radiation, drinking alcohol can alter the body's immunocompetence, the ability to produce a normal immune response. This can lead to far greater cellular damage and subsequently cause skin cancers to form. This study aimed to quantify the extent to which the melanoma risk is increased with alcohol intake, and we hope that armed with this knowledge people can better protect themselves in the sun."
Alcohol consumption also impairs behavior and judgment leading drinkers to spend longer time in the sun. Professor Chris Bunker, President of the British Association of Dermatologists said in a press release "We would always urge people to be careful in the sun and try to enjoy it responsibly. Many of us have seen holiday makers who have been caught unawares the day before, fuzzy-headed and lobster red - an unwelcome combination."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone