Drinking over recommended limit 'raises cancer risk' Drinking
more than a pint of beer a day can substantially increase the
risk of some cancers, research suggests. The Europe-wide study
of 363,988 people reported in the British Medical Journal found
one in 10 of all cancers in men and one in 33 in women were
caused by past or current alcohol intake. More than 18% of
alcohol-related cancers in men and about 4% in women were linked
to excessive drinking. The Department of Health said it was
taking action to reduce drinking. Cancer charities say people
should limit their drinking to lower the risk. The study
calculated that in 2008 current and past drinking habits were
responsible for about 13,000 cancer cases in the UK, out of a
total of 304,000 cases. Previous research has shown a link
between alcohol consumption and cancers of the oesophagus,
liver, bowel and female breast. When alcohol is broken down by
the body it produces a chemical which can damage DNA, increasing
the chance of developing cancer.Glass to