Increased cancer risk in heavy drinkers with the alcohol dehydrogenase 1C*1 allele, possibly due to salivary acetaldehyde

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Abstract
Background: Chronic ethanol consumption is associated with an increased risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer. As acetaldehyde seems to be a carcinogenic factor associated with chronic alcohol consumption, alcoholics with the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) 1C*1 allele seem to be particularly at risk as this allele encodes for a rapidly ethanol metabolising enzyme leading to increased acetaldehyde levels. Recent epidemiological studies resulted in contradictory results and therefore we have investigated ADH1C genotypes in heavy alcohol consumers only.