Alcohol and mouth cancer

There is now considered to be no safe limit for alcohol intake. Studies have shown that risk of mouth cancer increases with greater alcohol intake (in particular when associated with the use of tobacco). This paper reviews the role for alcohol in the aetiology of mouth cancer both in terms of how it may give rise to cancerous change and the relative risk it carries (arising from various systematic and meta-analyses reported over the last decade). While obtaining a reliable alcohol history can be problematic (with under reporting frequently suspected) greater awareness of the role of alcohol in both local and systemic disease (in particular that of cancer in an ever increasing number of sites) may serve as a motivator for behaviour change within our patients. To that end patients should be aware of the alcohol content in the drinks they consume and consider recording their alcohol intake over a defined period (eg, use of a diary or app over a two to four week period).