Alcohol and Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a disease that does not get a lot of press, but it is on the rise.  The Cleveland Clinic states that oral cancer is now the sixth most common cancer among men.

For years, tobacco was thought to be the primary cause of oral cancer, and the role of alcohol was secondary.  This was because many people both smoked and drank, and it was hard to seperate out the effects.

Now a new study shows that alcohol is indeed an independent risk factor for oral cancer.  The relationship appears to be linear, with the more alcohol consumed the greater the risk of oral cancer.  More general information and an overview are available at the Oral Cancer Foundation.