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Comment by irrational | Hacker News Reader

I had no idea there was a link between alcohol and cancer. Is this new info for anyone else?

This has been pretty well established for a while, and confirmed by the WHO. But for some reason, that fact never seems to have gained much traction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_cancer

Thanks, the Talk page is especially interesting here.

Here is some literature in case anyone is interested:

1. A 2006 review in The Lancet Oncology: http://drugfree.org.au/images/pdf-files/library/alcohol/Canc...

2. A recent study in The Lancet Oncology: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S1470-2045(21)00279-5/full...

3. A meta-analysis of the effects of light drinking on cancer incidence (Annals of Oncology): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092375341...

Yep, new to me but the article doesn't explain much. I assume massive drinking could lead to all sorts of cancers as you're taxing every part of your body. It follows that a bit of drinking would have a small effect but is it enough to really matter?

I’m not sure it follows, eg, a lot of radiation will give you cancer but a minuscule amount may boost health by stimulating an immune response that is overall protective.

I could similarly see a single shot of alcohol per week not significantly taxing your system and ending as a net benefit due to, eg, triggering cellular cleanup that also removes accumulated junk.

There's definitely a link with esophageal cancer, and imo that's being blurred and handwaved into a generalized cancer risk.

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