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Drinking Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

By Kathy Allen

Just two or three alcoholic beverages a day could be enough to increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Researchers from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center reached that conclusion after pooling data from 14 large studies on alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer. Together the research included more than 860,000 people. Among the group, nearly 2,200 were diagnosed with the disease.

Results showed men who consumed more than two alcoholic beverages a day, and women who consumed more than one, were about 22 percent more likely to develop the cancer. “Our findings support multiple nutrition recommendations that men should limit intake to no more than two alcoholic beverages per day and women should limit intake to no more than one,” study author Jeanine M. Genkinger, Ph.D., was quoted as saying.

For the purposes of this research, a drink was defined as either 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled liquor. The findings did not vary according to type of alcohol consumed.

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