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Updated: Nov 22, 2025

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Molecular mechanisms of alcohol-mediated carcinogenesis
Helmut K Seitz1, Felix Stickel
1Department of Medicine and Laboratory of Alcohol Research, Liver Disease and Nutrition, Salem Medical Centre, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. helmut_karl.seitz@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
Abstract:
Approximately 3.6% of cancers worldwide derive from chronic alcohol drinking, including those of the upper aerodigestive tract, the liver, the colorectum and the breast. Although the mechanisms for alcohol-associated carcinogenesis are not completely understood, most recent research has focused on acetaldehyde, the first and most toxic ethanol metabolite, as a cancer-causing agent. Ethanol may also stimulate carcinogenesis by inhibiting DNA methylation and by interacting with retinoid metabolism. Alcohol-related carcinogenesis may interact with other factors such as smoking, diet and comorbidities, and depends on genetic susceptibility.
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