If Finns gave up drinking, a dramatic decrease in esophageal cancer would occur, with a 23 percent drop in such cases over the next three decades, say Nordic researchers. Tee-totaling would also prevent some 5000 instances of breast cancer and 3200 cancers of the mouth and throat.
A researcher with the Finnish Cancer Registry echoes the Nordic study’s findings.
“Alcohol is the main factor contributing to a number of cancers. Around a quarter of throat and esophageal cancers are caused by alcohol,” says Eero Pukkala, the Cancer Registry’s research director.
According to Pukkala, around one hundred breast cancer cases a year in Finland are directly alcohol-related, which is why eliminating this risk factor could yield significant benefits. He says moderate drinkers stand to benefit too and can also significantly improve their health outcomes—and save the state a pretty penny—by putting the cork back in.
The full study, "Avoidable cancers in the Nordic countries—The impact of alcohol consumption" is available here.
