Upper aerodigestive cancer risk and alcohol

Upper aerodigestive tract cancers (combined) - cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, and oesophagus separately

oral cavity and pharynx

• consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally associated with risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (combined). Increasing alcohol consumption increases risk in a dose-dependent manner. Statistically significant increased risks were observed at low, medium and high levels of alcohol intake
  
  
• consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally associated with the risk of cancer of the oral cavity. Statistically significant increased risks were consistently observed at high alcohol intakes (>50 g ethanol/day), but findings were more variable at medium and low intakes
  
  
• consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally associated with the risk of cancer of the pharynx. Statistically significant increased risks were consistently observed at high alcohol intakes (>50 g ethanol/day), but findings were more variable at medium and low intakes.

laryngeal cancer

• consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally associated with risk of laryngeal cancer
  
  
• statistically significant increased risks were consistently observed at medium and high (>12.5 g ethanol/day) but not low alcohol intakes.

Oesophageal cancer

• consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally associated with risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus. Increasing alcohol consumption 14 increases risk in a dose-dependent manner. Statistically significant increased risks were observed at low, medium and high alcohol intakes
  
  
• consumption of alcoholic beverages is not associated with adenocarcinoma (AC) of the oesophagus

Notes:

Reference:

• Public Health England (2015). Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) Statement 2015/S2 - Statement on consumption of alcoholic beverages and risk of cancer.