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Re: Institute for Environmental Health Sciences





On Sat, 20 May 2000, Paul Lavely wrote:
> 
> ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION
> 
> Consumption of alcoholic beverages is known to be a human carcinogen 
> based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from human studies 
> that indicate a causal relationship between consumption of alcoholic 
> beverages and cancer in humans (reviewed in IARC V. 44,  1988; 
> Longnecker and Enger, 1996). Studies indicate that the risk of cancer 
> is most pronounced among smokers and at the highest levels of 
> consumption.  Consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally related 
> to cancers of the mouth, pharynx,  larynx, and esophagus.

	--Does anyone know if this implies that gargling with a mouthwash
that contains alcohol is carcinogenic? For the mouth, pharynx, and larynx,
exposures to alcohol from drinking or from using it as a gargle should be
similar. Why, then, aren't there warnings on mouth washes that contain
alcohol?

Bernard L. Cohen
Physics Dept.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Tel: (412)624-9245
Fax: (412)624-9163
e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu











> case control studies in a variety of human populations are notable 
> for their consistency in reporting the presence of moderate to strong 
> associations with dose-response relationships for these four sites. 
> Evidence also supports a weaker but possibly causal relation between 
> alcoholic beverage consumption and increased risk of cancers of the 
> liver and breast (Longnecker, 1994). The effect of a given level of 
> alcoholic beverage intake on absolute risks of cancer of the mouth, 
> pharynx, larynx, and esophagus is influenced by other factors, 
> especially smoking. However, smoking does not explain the observed 
> increased risk of cancers associated with increased alcoholic 
> beverage consumption.  No adequate experimental animal 
> carcinogenicity studies of alcoholic beverages have been reported in 
> the literature. Studies specifically examining the carcinogenicity of 
> ethanol in animals have not yielded results that would suggest that 
> the ethanol component of alcoholic beverages is solely responsible 
> for the increases in cancer observed in people consuming alcoholic 
> beverages.
> 
> ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO CARCINOGENESIS OR POSSIBLE
> MECHANISMS OF CARCINOGENESIS
> Increased frequencies of chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid 
> exchanges, and aneuploidies have been found in the peripheral 
> lymphocytes of alcoholics. Ethanol-free extracts of some alcoholic 
> beverages induced sister chromatid exchanges in human cells in vitro 
> and mutations in bacteria (IARC V. 44, 1988).  The mechanism by which 
> consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause cancers in humans is not 
> established.
> 
> 
> KNOWN TO BE A HUMAN CARCINOGEN NINTH REPORT ON CARCINOGENS
> 
> STRONG INORGANIC ACID MISTS CONTAINING SULFURIC ACID
> CAS No. 7664-93-9 (Sulfuric Acid)
> First listed in the Ninth Report on Carcinogens
> CARCINOGENICITY
> Occupational exposure to strong inorganic acid mists containing 
> sulfuric acid is known to be a human carcinogen,  based on sufficient 
> evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans that indicate a 
> causal relationship between exposure to strong inorganic acid mists 
> containing sulfuric acid and human cancer (reviewed in IARC V. 54, 
> 1992).  Occupational exposures to strong inorganic acid mists 
> containing sulfuric acid are specifically associated with laryngeal 
> and lung cancer in humans. Steenland et al. (1988) reported on 
> studies of one U. S. cohort of male workers in pickling operations in 
> the steel industry,  which showed excesses of laryngeal cancer after 
> adjusting for smoking and other potential confounding variables 
> [standardized incidence rate ratio (SIR)for laryngeal cancer was 2. 
> 30 (95%confidence interval [CI ],  1. 05-4. 36)]. In a ten-year 
> follow-up,  Steenland (1997) reported a laryngeal cancer rate ratio 
> of 2. 2 (95%CI,  1. 2-3. 7),  consistent with previous findings from 
> this cohort. In a nested case-control study of workers in a U. S. 
> petrochemical plant,   Soskolne et al. (1984)found a dose-response 
> for laryngeal cancer risk among workers exposed to moderate (odds 
> ratio [OR ] of 4. 6;;95%CI,  0. 83-25. 35)or high levels (OR of 13. 
> 4;95%CI,  2. 08- 85. 99)of sulfuric acid. In a Canadian population 
> based case-control study,  after controlling for tobacco and alcohol 
> use and including only the most specific exposure scale,  Soskolne et 
> al.  (1992)also observed a dose-response for laryngeal cancer risk in 
> workers exposed to sulfuric acid mist,  with ORs of 2. 52 (95%CI,  0. 
> 80-7. 91)at the lowest level of exposure and 6. 87 (95% CI,  1. 
> 00-47. 06)at the highest. A report of a similar population based 
> case-control study in Canada by Siemiatycki (1991)suggested an 
> increase in risk for oat-cell carcinoma of the lung (rate ratio [RR 
> ]of 2. 0;90%CI,  1. 3-2. 9). Steenland and Beaumont (1989), 
> reporting on the same U. S. cohort of male workers in pickling 
> operations described by Steenland et al. (1988),  found an excess of 
> lung cancer in these workers after adjusting for smoking and other 
> potential confounding variables [standardized mortality ratio 
> (SMR)for lung cancer was 1. 36 (95%CI,   0. 97-1. 84)].  No adequate 
> experimental animal carcinogenicity studies of sulfuric acid or 
> strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid have been 
> reported in the literature.  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO 
> CARCINOGENESIS OR POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF CARCINOGENESIS The 
> manufacture of isopropyl alcohol by the strong acid process, which 
> uses sulfuric acid, has been identified by IARC as known to cause an 
> increased incidence of cancer of the paranasal sinuses in workers 
> (reviewed in IARC V. 15, 1977).  O S O OH HO
> 
> 
> 
> Paul Lavely
> <lavelyp@uclink4.berkeley.edu>
> --============_-1253264604==_ma============
> Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
> <html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
> blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { margin-top: 0 ; margin-bottom: 0 }
>  --></style><title>Re: Institute for Environmental Health
> Sciences</title></head><body>
> <div><br></div>
> <div><br></div>
> <blockquote type="cite" cite>for example,</blockquote>
> <blockquote type="cite" cite>what sort of exposure produces cancer)
> then I believe that simply publishing</blockquote>
> <blockquote type="cite" cite>a list is significantly
> misleading.</blockquote>
> <div><br></div>
> <div>Contrary to the posting the IEHS DID provide this
> information.<br>
> </div>
> <div>To quote the report.</div>
> <div><br></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">KNOWN TO BE A
> HUMAN CARCINOGEN NINTH REPORT ON CARCINOGENS</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">ALCOHOLIC
> BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">Consumption of
> alcoholic beverages is known to be a human carcinogen based on
> sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from human studies that
> indicate a causal relationship between consumption of alcoholic
> beverages and cancer in humans (reviewed in IARC V. 44,&nbsp; 1988;
> Longnecker and Enger, 1996). Studies indicate that the risk of cancer
> is most pronounced among smokers and at the highest levels of
> consumption.&nbsp; Consumption of alcoholic beverages is causally
> related to cancers of the mouth, pharynx,&nbsp; larynx, and
> esophagus. Cohort and case control studies in a variety of human
> populations are notable for their consistency in reporting the
> presence of moderate to strong associations with dose-response
> relationships for these four sites. Evidence also supports a weaker
> but possibly causal relation between alcoholic beverage consumption
> and increased risk of cancers of the liver and breast (Longnecker,
> 1994). The effect of a given level of alcoholic beverage intake on
> absolute risks of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus
> is influenced by other factors, especially smoking. However, smoking
> does not explain the observed increased risk of cancers associated
> with increased alcoholic beverage consumption.&nbsp; No adequate
> experimental animal carcinogenicity studies of alcoholic beverages
> have been reported in the literature. Studies specifically examining
> the carcinogenicity of ethanol in animals have not yielded results
> that would suggest that the ethanol component of alcoholic beverages
> is solely responsible for the increases in cancer observed in people
> consuming alcoholic beverages.</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br>
> ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO CARCINOGENESIS OR
> POSSIBLE</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">MECHANISMS OF
> CARCINOGENESIS<br>
> Increased frequencies of chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid
> exchanges, and aneuploidies have been found in the peripheral
> lymphocytes of alcoholics. Ethanol-free extracts of some alcoholic
> beverages induced sister chromatid exchanges in human cells in vitro
> and mutations in bacteria (IARC V. 44, 1988).&nbsp; The mechanism by
> which consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause cancers in humans
> is not established.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> KNOWN TO BE A HUMAN CARCINOGEN NINTH REPORT ON CARCINOGENS<br>
> <br>
> STRONG INORGANIC ACID MISTS CONTAINING SULFURIC ACID<br>
> CAS No. 7664-93-9 (Sulfuric Acid)<br>
> First listed in the Ninth Report on Carcinogens<br>
> CARCINOGENICITY</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">Occupational
> exposure to strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid is
> known to be a human carcinogen,&nbsp; based on sufficient evidence of
> carcinogenicity from studies in humans that indicate a causal
> relationship between exposure to strong inorganic acid mists
> containing sulfuric acid and human cancer (reviewed in IARC V.
> 54,&nbsp; 1992).&nbsp; Occupational exposures to strong inorganic
> acid mists containing sulfuric acid are specifically associated with
> laryngeal and lung cancer in humans. Steenland et al. (1988) reported
> on studies of one U. S. cohort of male workers in pickling operations
> in the steel industry,&nbsp; which showed excesses of laryngeal
> cancer after adjusting for smoking and other potential confounding
> variables [standardized incidence rate ratio (SIR)for laryngeal
> cancer was 2. 30 (95%confidence interval [CI ],&nbsp; 1. 05-4. 36)].
> In a ten-year follow-up,&nbsp; Steenland (1997) reported a laryngeal
> cancer rate ratio of 2. 2 (95%CI,&nbsp; 1. 2-3. 7),&nbsp; consistent
> with previous findings from this cohort. In a nested case-control
> study of workers in a U. S. petrochemical plant,&nbsp;&nbsp; Soskolne
> et al. (1984)found a dose-response for laryngeal cancer risk among
> workers exposed to moderate (odds ratio [OR ] of 4. 6;;95%CI,&nbsp;
> 0. 83-25. 35)or high levels (OR of 13. 4;95%CI,&nbsp; 2. 08- 85.
> 99)of sulfuric acid. In a Canadian population based case-control
> study,&nbsp; after controlling for tobacco and alcohol use and
> including only the most specific exposure scale,&nbsp; Soskolne et
> al.&nbsp; (1992)also observed a dose-response for laryngeal cancer
> risk in workers exposed to sulfuric acid mist,&nbsp; with ORs of 2.
> 52 (95%CI,&nbsp; 0. 80-7. 91)at the lowest level of exposure and 6.
> 87 (95% CI,&nbsp; 1. 00-47. 06)at the highest. A report of a similar
> population based case-control study in Canada by Siemiatycki
> (1991)suggested an increase in risk for oat-cell carcinoma of the
> lung (rate ratio [RR ]of 2. 0;90%CI,&nbsp; 1. 3-2. 9). Steenland and
> Beaumont (1989),&nbsp; reporting on the same U. S. cohort of male
> workers in pickling operations described by Steenland et al.
> (1988),&nbsp; found an excess of lung cancer in these workers after
> adjusting for smoking and other potential confounding variables
> [standardized mortality ratio (SMR)for lung cancer was 1. 36
> (95%CI,&nbsp;&nbsp; 0. 97-1. 84)].&nbsp; No adequate experimental
> animal carcinogenicity studies of sulfuric acid or strong inorganic
> acid mists containing sulfuric acid have been reported in the
> literature.&nbsp; ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELEVANT TO CARCINOGENESIS
> OR POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF CARCINOGENESIS The manufacture of isopropyl
> alcohol by the strong acid process, which uses sulfuric acid, has
> been identified by IARC as known to cause an increased incidence of
> cancer of the paranasal sinuses in workers (reviewed in IARC V. 15,
> 1977).&nbsp; O S O OH HO</font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
> <div><font face="Courier" size="+2" color="#000000">Paul
> Lavely</font></div>
> <div>&lt;lavelyp@uclink4.berkeley.edu&gt;</div>
> </body>
> </html>
> --============_-1253264604==_ma============--
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