Is alcohol responsible for more intra-oral cancer?

The role of the major risk factors, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption , on trends in intra-oral cancer mortality in England and Wales between 191 1 and 1990 was investigated, using lung cancer and liver cirrhosis as surro gate markers for smoking and drinking. Standardised mortality data on lung cancer and liver cirrhosis from the Office of Population Censuses and Surve ys, aggregated into 5-year time periods for ages 35-64 and 65 + years, were regressed on corresponding data for intra-oral cancer. The strongest assoc iations were in males aged 35-64 with a high negative correlation between l ung and intra-oral cancer (rho = -0.98, 95% CI -0.99 to -0.96, P < 0.01) an d. conversely a positive correlation between liver cirrhosis and intra-oral cancer (rho = 0.71, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.89. P < 0.01). The findings suggest t hat rising alcohol consumption since the 1950s is more closely related to i ncreasing intra-oral cancer incidence and mortality than smoking, most nota bly among younger males since the early 1970s. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.