Heavy Drinking and Pancreatic Cancer

  A dear friend of mine is living with pancreatic cancer so this report really caught my attention.  Doctors are now associating heavy drinking with an increased chance of dying from pancreatic cancer.  This form of cancer is one of the deadliest.  It is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and the third leading cause of cancer death in women according to the National Cancer Institute.
  This latest study from the American Cancer Society involved more than 1.2 million people.  The researchers followed the patients for more than two decades and found those who reported consuming three or more drinks of liquor a day had a 36% higher risk of dying from pancreatic cancer than non-drinkers.  What's interesting is that all forms of alcohol do not appear to have the same association.  The scientists found beer and wine did not carry the same increase in cancer risk and believe differences in the way the beverages are packaged and consumed could help explain why.  One surgical oncologist from Emory University says although the research is provocative he doesn't find it earth shattering.  Dr. David Kooby explains, "In the back of our minds we know alcohol upsets the pancreas."  Other experts call the finding significant since there are only two other lifestyle factors associated with pancreatic cancer that are modifiable:  smoking and obesity.
   To read more about the study, click here:    http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/News/heavydrinkinglinkedtopancreaticcancer