Review: positive link for alcohol, nonmelanoma skin cancer

(HealthDay)—Alcohol intake seems to be positively associated with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), according to a review and meta-analysis published online July 28 in the British Journal of Dermatology.

H. Yen, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues performed a systematic literature search and meta-analysis to quantify the relationship between alcohol intake and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). A total of 13 case-control and cohort studies were included in the systematic review, with 95,241 NMSC cases.

The researchers found that for every 10-g increase in ethanol intake per day there was a positive correlation for BCC and cSCC (summary relative risks, 1.07 and 1.11, respectively). Evidence indicated a nonlinear correlation for BCC, although this could result from sparse data at higher levels of alcohol intake.

"These results should be interpreted with caution due to potential residual confounding," the authors write. "Nonetheless, because alcohol drinking is a prevalent and modifiable behavior, it could serve as an important public health target to reduce the global health burden of NMSC."

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