The lancet oncology
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A causal association has been established between alcohol consumption and cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and, in women, breast; an association is suspected for cancers of the pancreas and lung. Evidence suggests that the effect of alcohol is modulated by polymorphisms in genes encoding enzymes for ethanol metabolism (eg, alcohol dehydrogenases, aldehyde dehydrogenases, and cytochrome P450 2E1), folate metabolism, and DNA repair. The mechanisms by which alcohol consumption exerts its carcinogenic effect have not been defined fully, although plausible events include: a genotoxic effect of acetaldehyde, the main metabolite of ethanol; increased oestrogen concentration, which is important for breast carcinogenesis; a role as solvent for tobacco carcinogens; production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species; and changes in folate metabolism. Alcohol consumption is increasing in many countries and is an important cause of cancer worldwide.
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2006
Genetic variation in TNF and IL10 and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a report from the InterLymph Consortium.
Common genetic variants in immune and inflammatory response genes can affect the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We aimed to test this hypothesis using previously unpublished data from eight European, Canadian, and US case-control studies of the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph). ⋯ Common polymorphisms in TNF and IL10, key cytokines for the inflammatory response and Th1/Th2 balance, could be susceptibility loci for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Moreover, our results underscore the importance of consortia for investigating the genetic basis of chronic diseases like cancer.