It is no news that alcohol is not a health elixir. Alcohol is a known carcinogen, and while it has been linked to a slew of health conditions, its link to pancreatic cancer looks a little dark. However, the science community has tiptoed around the subject, calling the connection “limited” or “inconclusive.” That is, until now.
A large study by the World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) looked at data from around 2 million people across 30 studies on four continents, followed over 16 years.
The findings showed a modest increase in pancreatic cancer risk with alcohol intake, regardless of sex or smoking habits. The risk was more noticeable in women who drank 15 grams or more per day and in men who drank 30 grams or more per day.
The study, recently published in PLOS Medicine, found a modest yet consistent link between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk. For every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day, that is roughly one small glass of wine, your risk of pancreatic cancer increases by 3 percent.
Now, what exactly does “modest risk” mean in real terms?
For women consuming between 15 and 30 grams of alcohol per day, the risk of pancreatic cancer rose by 12 percent compared to those with only a light intake (0.1–5 grams/day). Men who consumed 30 to 60 grams a day faced a 15 percent higher risk, and those exceeding 60 grams saw their risk spike by a sobering 36 percent.
In other words, if your idea of winding down involves more than a casual drink or two, it might be time to reconsider what you are really toasting to.
Here are five ways alcohol could be setting the stage for pancreatic cancer:
Causes Inflammation: Chronic alcohol consumption can inflame the pancreas, a condition known as pancreatitis. This inflamed state is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
Damages DNA: Alcohol metabolises into acetaldehyde, a compound that is as bad for your DNA as it sounds. It can cause mutations and hamper your body’s ability to repair damaged cells.
Intrigues Insulin: Alcohol can disrupt glucose metabolism and insulin regulation. Since the pancreas is key in managing these functions, such disruption can stress the organ and possibly lead to tumour formation over time.
Causes Oxidative Stress: Booze brings with it a wave of oxidative stress, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. This stress can damage cell structures and pave the way for malignancies.
Weakens Immunity: Chronic drinking can dull the immune system, making it harder for your body to detect and kill off rogue, potentially cancerous cells.
The study does have limitations. It assessed drinking habits at just one point in time and had limited representation from Asian populations. It also did not dig deeper into lifetime drinking patterns or the effects of occasional binge drinking versus steady consumption.
Pancreatic cancer might only be the twelfth most common cancer globally, but its fatality rate punches far above its weight, accounting for about 5 percent of cancer-related deaths.
