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Alcohol and Cancer

  • Chapter
The Biology of Alcoholism

Abstract

The clinical association of long-term ingestion of large amounts of alcoholic beverages (chronic alcoholism) with a variety of cancers is known to most cancer epidemiologists but is not widely recognized in the medical profession. Chronic alcoholism or alcoholic cirrhosis is a clinical concomitant in a large percentage, if not the majority, of patients with carcinoma of the oropharynx, tongue, larynx, and esophagus and with primary carcinoma of the liver (hepatoma). Furthermore, the concurrence of prolonged heavy drinking with these malignancies is such as to suggest strongly an important contributory, if not primary, role in the pathogenesis of these lesions. Under the circumstances, it is remarkable that the relationship of heavy drinking to cancer has not received greater attention, particularly in view of our experience with smoking and bronchogenic carcinoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Downstate Medical Center, State University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Benjamin Kissin & Maureen M. Kaley

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  1. Benjamin Kissin
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  1. Division of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Department of Psychiatry Downstate Medical Center, State University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Benjamin Kissin  & Henri Begleiter  & 

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© 1974 Plenum Press, New York

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Kissin, B., Kaley, M.M. (1974). Alcohol and Cancer. In: Kissin, B., Begleiter, H. (eds) The Biology of Alcoholism. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2937-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2937-4_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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