The relation between alcohol and esophageal cancer has become clear.

Alcoholic beverages are known to induce many cancers, a carcinogen confirmed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized organization of the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is known that Japanese people have a high-risk group that is vulnerable to alcohol, and experts should understand their constitution, refrain from drinking if they find it high-risk, and perform cancer screening for early detection. I’m talking about wanting you to actively undergo endoscopy.

According to the IARC classification of carcinogenic risk, alcoholic beverages are the highest “Group 1” confirmed to be “carcinogenic”.

It is said to increase the risk of cancer in the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, large intestine, liver, as well as breast cancer in women.

According to the IARC, esophageal cancer had the highest number of new cases in 2020 that could be attributed to alcohol.

40％ of japanese

According to Dr. Chikatoshi Katada (Department of Oncology), Kyoto University School of Medicine, who is familiar with the relationship between alcohol and cancer, people first decompose alcohol contained in alcohol into acetaldehyde, and then decompose acetaldehyde into acetic acid to detoxify it. ..

However, it is said that 40% of East Asian people, including Japan, do not work or work weakly with acetaldehyde-degrading enzymes.

If you drink more alcohol, alcohol and acetaldehyde that could not be metabolized will get on your blood and go around your whole body.

When you drink alcohol, the mucous membranes from the throat to the esophagus and stomach continue to be directly exposed to the alcohol and acetaldehyde contained in the alcohol and the saliva in which they are dissolved.

Studies have also shown that people who are vulnerable to alcohol have higher levels of acetaldehyde in saliva after drinking and more damage to the DNA that leads to cancer than those who are strong.

89 times more risk in large quantities

In multicenter joint research such as the National Cancer Center, the risk of esophageal cancer is about 6 times higher for people who are strong in alcohol than when they drink a small amount of alcohol.

There was also a report that heavy drinking was 89 times higher.

“There aren’t many cancers with such a clear carcinogenic mechanism,” says Dr. Katada.

Akira Yokoyama, director of clinical research at the National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical Center, has developed a test to determine the risk of esophageal cancer by integrating the research conducted so far.

お酒で赤くなる体質を用いた食道がん高危険群スクリーニングテスト | 依存症スクリーニングテスト | 病院のご案内 | 久里浜医療センター (hosp.go.jp)

After answering whether your face turns red after drinking a glass of beer, or if it was when you started drinking, answer questions about the amount of alcohol, smoking habits, and eating habits.

A total of 11 points or more is judged to be a person with an extremely high risk of cancer.

However, it should be noted that even people who are strong in alcohol and do not turn red will be at higher risk as the amount of alcohol increases.

In a study conducted by Mr. Yokoyama based on the test, the rate of finding esophageal cancer in a single score of 10 or less was 0.7%, whereas in the case of 11 points or more, it was 4.3%, a difference of about 6 times. ..

Stop or refrain.

What should a high-risk person do in the end?

“I want you to work on changing your lifestyle, such as quitting or refraining from drinking,” says Yokoyama.

It has been reported that abstinence reduces the risk of esophageal cancer by a third after 5 years compared to continued drinking.

In addition, it is highly recommended to have an endoscopic (gastric camera) examination for early detection.

Endoscopy was recommended in addition to x-rays of the stomach drinking barium.

In the endoscopy, you can see the esophagus on the way.

With the increase in this test, the number of canteen cancers found early is increasing and the mortality rate is also on the decline.

Mr. Yokoyama said, “It is important not to miss the opportunity to undergo endoscopy, and at the time of the examination, it is important to fill out a questionnaire and inform the examiner in advance that it applies to the high-risk group of esophageal cancer.” I was talking.

Satoshi

Hello, I’m Satoshi. I’ve been working as a staff member for an organization for over a decade. During that time, I’ve had various experiences, from launching new businesses to streamlining operations using information I’ve gathered from the internet and my own experiences. Of course, I’ve been successful with the help of colleagues and superiors, and I’m grateful to them. Nowadays, I find myself in a position where people from various backgrounds ask me for advice and share their knowledge. However, being constantly approached has made me realize that I need to protect my own time. So, I’ve decided to start a blog called ‘Satoshi Lab’ to share knowledge. I hope that by writing about my thoughts and experiences, people will enjoy reading and find it helpful in their own journeys.