Department of Medicine and Laboratory of Alcohol Research, Liver Disease and Nutrition, Salem Medical Centre, 69121 Heidelberg.den, Zeppelinstraße 1133, Heidelberg, Germany
Received 9 September 2002; accepted 7 October 2002
I read with great interest the article by Lloyd (2002) entitled One hundred alcoholic doctors: a 21-year follow-up in the July/August 2002 issue of Alcohol and Alcoholism.
I was wondering, however, why, in Table 7, colonic cancer was listed among deaths due to non-alcohol causes. Although colonic cancer is less frequently associated with chronic alcohol misuse, as compared with rectal cancer, more and more data appear underlining the association between colorectal cancer and alcohol.
A recent consensus panel by the WHO stated: Epidemiological data indicate that the consumption of alcoholic beverages, even at low intake, results in an increased risk of colorectal adenomas and cancer. The association seems more consistent for beer and rectal cancer (WHO Consensus statement on the role of nutrition in colorectal cancer, 1999).
REFERENCES
Lloyd, G. (2002) One hundred alcoholic doctors: a 21-year follow-up. Alcohol and Alcoholism 37, 370374.
WHO Consensus statement on the role of nutrition in colorectal cancer (1999) European Journal of Cancer Prevention 8, 5762.[ISI][Medline]