A 28-year-old member asked:
Do alcohol and tobacco increase cancer risk?
2 doctor answers • 12 doctors weighed in
Dr. Brian Fishmananswered
Emergency Medicine 11 years experience
Yes!: Both alcohol and tobacco (regardless of route - cigarettes, chew, whatever) increase the risk of a number of cancers. Smoking is a risk factor for lung, bladder, oral, esophageal, pancreatic, and renal cell cancer, to name just a few. Alcohol is a risk factor for liver, oral, esophageal, pharynx/larynx, and stomach cancer.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Edward Goldanswered
Internal Medicine 46 years experience
Absolutely: Both are well established risk factors for many types of cancers.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 27-year-old member asked:
How does alcohol raise the risk of cancer?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Barry Rosenanswered
General Surgery 36 years experience
Unknown: The exact mechanism by which alcohol increases the risk of cancer is unknown, but this risk is well-established for cancers of the head and neck, breast, liver, esophagus, and colon. There are probably many different causes including a local irritant effect, the effect on how other drugs are metabolized by the liver, and the effect of metabolites of alcohol that may be affected by gut bacteria.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 4, 2016
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