Taiwan should include alcohol intolerance as part of standard tests when screening for cancer to provide opportunities to diagnose oral and esophageal cancers early for high-risk groups, the Taiwan Alcohol Prevention Association said yesterday.
Technology can diagnose if someone is deficient in aldehyde-dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) without the need for blood tests, association president Chen Che-hung (陳哲宏) said at a National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) event for No Alcohol Day.
Results can be obtained within an hour, Chen added.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
Up to 49 percent of Taiwanese are ALDH2 deficient, meaning they lack a major enzyme responsible for alcohol oxidation, placing Taiwan first in the world for the condition, Chen said.
The inability to metabolize acetaldehyde, which is listed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, means that for Taiwanese, having a small glass of alcohol daily could cause cancer, Chen said.
Chen cited a National Taiwan University research report stating that drinkers have a sevenfold higher risk of developing cancer compared with non-drinkers, adding that those with alcohol intolerance have an almost 70 times higher risk of developing cancer.
People with ALDH2 deficiency who drink and smoke are 300 times more susceptible than others to developing cancer, Chen said.
“Such actions almost guarantee that these people will develop cancer. It is only a matter of time,” he said.
Alcohol and tobacco are Group 1 carcinogens, former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said, adding that the two substances, alongside betel nut, are the top three substances leading to high oral cancer rates in Taiwan.
People who drink, smoke and chew betel nut run nearly 100 times the risk of others of developing cancer, he said.
Citing his own research, Chen Chien-jen said that many of his patients with liver cancer or disease were alcohol consumers, urging the public not to start drinking and for drinkers to reduce the amount consumed.
National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) Deputy Director Chen Liang-yu (陳亮妤) said the annual National Health Insurance payout for alcohol-related diseases is NT$5.7 billion (US$188 million).
Chen Liang-yu also cited international statistics showing that of every four suicides, one was related to alcohol consumption, adding that domestic statistics show that one out of every five suicides was alcohol-related.
The NHIA’s 888 Program, which aims to provide care for 80 percent of people with the “three hypers” — hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension — by 2030, has listed “no alcohol” as a habit that should be cultivated.
NTUH doctor Chang Yi-cheng (張以承) said there was no “safe amount” of alcohol for consumption, adding that drinkers should endeavor not to exceed two standard units of alcohol, defined as 500ml of beer, 250ml of wine or 50ml of spirits.
All alcoholic beverages should include warnings that consumption could lead to cancer on their labels, Chang added.
No Alcohol Day was launched in 2019 by the Taiwan Alcohol Intolerance Education Society to raise public awareness about the dangers of drinking.
The group chose May 9 as a play on the words “five” (五) for the month of May and “no” (無), both pronounced as wu in Mandarin, and “nine” (九) and “alcohol” (酒), both pronounced as jiu.
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