An international study has linked binge drinking with an increased risk of alcohol related cancer. Reem Mohammed / The National
An international study has linked binge drinking with an increased risk of alcohol related cancer. Reem Mohammed / The National
An international study has linked binge drinking with an increased risk of alcohol related cancer. Reem Mohammed / The National
An international study has linked binge drinking with an increased risk of alcohol related cancer. Reem Mohammed / The National

China and India record increase in alcohol-related cancer cases


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

Alcohol consumption was responsible for more than 740,000 cancer cases worldwide last year, an international study says.

The stark findings in the global population study backed by the World Health Organisation, prompted doctors to renew the call for greater awareness about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

The research, published in The Lancet, attributed 741,300 of all new cancer cases in 2020 to alcohol use.

Figures for the UAE were low, with just 39 cases directly linked to alcohol in 2020, but alcohol-related cancers were on the rise elsewhere in India, China, Vietnam and sub-Saharan Africa.

The one way forward is to increase public awareness, because a lot of people do not know what the safe limit is
Dr Rehan Saif,
VPS Healthcare surgeon

The study’s authors said the figures were likely to be conservative, because many cancer cases were likely to go undiagnosed during the pandemic, while binge drinking during travel restrictions increased.

Alcohol warning signs are not only for men

“This is a trend that has happened over a number of decades and not just recently,” said liver surgeon Dr Rehan Saif, a transplant consultant at VPS Healthcare in Abu Dhabi.

“The WHO delivered a warning on the carcinogenic risks associated with alcohol a number of years ago.

“We have known that alcohol is related to liver disease and oral cancers, and men traditionally consume more alcohol than women.

“But In countries where there is a socio-economic boom, like India and China, we are seeing more women consuming high levels of alcohol.

“While the distribution may not yet be equal, it is certainly higher than is being reported.”

In China, 282,300 new cancer cases were linked to alcohol, while India had 62,100.

Researchers evaluated risk by looking at consumption levels and relating them to cancer diagnoses.

Prevalence was split into three categories – moderate drinking, up to two drinks a day; risky drinking, between two and six alcoholic beverages a day; and heavy drinking, more than six drinks consumed daily.

Moderate drinkers also at risk

Heavy drinkers made up the largest number of cancer cases, 346,400, but even those drinking moderately were at risk.

Light to moderate drinkers who consumed just two drinks a day represented one in seven of all new cancers in 2020, more than 100,000 cases worldwide.

“When alcohol is paired with other carcinogenic agents, such as smoking and poor diet, there is a risk of multiple cancers,” Dr Saif said.

Italian football fans enjoy a drink before the recent Euro 2020 final at Wembley. AFP
Italian football fans enjoy a drink before the recent Euro 2020 final at Wembley. AFP

“The one way forward is to increase pubic awareness, because a lot of people do not know what the safe limit is.

“Alcohol warnings similar to what we now see on cigarette packaging would be a good way to increase that.

“Everything is safe in moderation, but we know binge drinking is more harmful.

“The driving force for change will be more understanding of the ill effects.”

Recommended safe drinking levels are no more than 14 units a week, spread across three or more days.

On average, that is the equivalent to about nine glasses of wine or seven pints of lager.

For the study, a percentage of each population at risk was calculated, considering age, sex, country and cancer type.

The population attributable fraction (PAF) combined the prevalence of exposure and relative risk.

The UAE was given a PAF figure of 1.4 per cent in men, the region’s highest, compared with 0.7 per cent In Lebanon, 0.3 per cent in Iraq and Qatar and 0.1 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

Doctors said that figure was probably because of the high proportion of expatriates living in the Emirates.

In the UK and Australia, the PAF was 4.9 per cent and in the US the number was 3.8 per cent in men.

Pandemic has exacerbated problem

A barman pours beer in a pub in France. Reuters
A barman pours beer in a pub in France. Reuters

“During the pandemic more people increased their alcohol consumption,” said Dr Sadir Alrawi, director of oncology at VPS Healthcare’s hospitals in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

“However, the number of alcohol-related cancer cases in the UAE are still relatively low.

“Expatriates, rather than locals, drink alcohol here, so these numbers [in the UAE] are more applicable to standards elsewhere in the world.

“When combined with smoking, alcohol becomes more dangerous and this should be addressed.”

European regions showed a decrease in drinking trends compared with 2012 data, but significant increases in alcohol consumption were found in several other regions, including Africa and Asia.

The most common cancers associated with alcohol were of the mouth, throat, colon liver and rectum, with breast cancer most common in women.

The UK had an estimated 4 per cent, or 16,800, of cancer cases linked to alcohol, including 4,400 cases of breast cancer.

In the UAE, just 0.8 per cent of all cancer cases were attributed to alcohol, while in the US, 3 per cent of cases (52,700) were alcohol related.

Research showed men were more than three times more likely to develop alcohol-related cancer than women.

Figures revealed 77 per cent (568,700) of alcohol-induced cancers were diagnosed in men compared with just 23 per cent (172,600) in women.

“Although there are multiple other factors such as smoking and obesity, alcohol is the commonest predisposing factor linked to oesophageal and liver cancers,” said Dr Nikunj Gupta, a gastrointestinal surgeon at NMC Royal Hospital, Dubai.

“Most of the patients that present with these cancers have a strong history of alcohol consumption, especially in males.

“This study shows the need to educate people which will go a long way in reducing the healthcare burden.”

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas) 

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier

Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.

UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait

World T20 2020 Qualifying process:

  • Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
  • Australia have already qualified as hosts
  • Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
  • The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.

World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass

Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km

Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3E%0DThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Addis%20Ababa%20with%20Ethiopian%20Airlines%20with%20return%20fares%20from%20Dh1%2C700.%20Nashulai%20Journeys%20offers%20tailormade%20and%20ready%20made%20trips%20in%20Africa%20while%20Tesfa%20Tours%20has%20a%20number%20of%20different%20community%20trekking%20tours%20throughout%20northern%20Ethiopia.%20%20The%20Ben%20Abeba%20Lodge%20has%20rooms%20from%20Dh228%2C%20and%20champions%20a%20programme%20of%20re-forestation%20in%20the%20surrounding%20area.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E660hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C100Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488km-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh850%2C000%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOctober%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Updated: July 21, 2021, 4:11 PM`