Alcohol-related cancers becoming bigger problem day by day

Despite the WHO’s recent call for prominent health warning labels on alcoholic beverages, health experts in India expressed growing concern about alcohol-related cancers. According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-causing drug that was categorized as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago. The highest risk category of carcinogens is Group 1, which also includes radiation, tobacco, and asbestos. Alcohol use is most frequently associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, foodpipe, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreas. Additionally, it causes prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. One well-known carcinogen that is greatly increasing the incidence of the fatal illness worldwide is alcohol. Alcohol use is linked to almost 4% of cancer diagnoses globally.

According to a recent study published in the journal Lancet, alcohol use was thought to be the cause of about 62,100 new cancer cases in India in 2020. Chronic alcohol use also impairs the immune system, making it less able to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells, according to the experts. Oral and pharyngeal cancer may be indicated by persistent mouth sores, unexplained bleeding, a cheek lump or thickening, trouble swallowing, or a sore throat that doesn’t go away. While patients with liver cancer may experience abdominal swelling, jaundice, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, and fatigue, those with oesophageal cancer may experience difficulty swallowing, chest discomfort, unintended weight loss, chronic coughing, or hoarseness.