Link between alcohol consumption and cancer

Alcohol consumption has long been linked to cancer and its spread, but the underlying mechanism has never been clear.

Now, a recent study at Rush University Medical Center has identified a cellular pathway that may explain the link. The researchers found that alcohol stimulates what is called the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, in which run-of-the-mill cancer cells morph into a more aggressive form and begin to spread throughout the body.

The study findings are published in the current issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.