Terrifying link between booze and deadliest cancer discovered – are you drinking too much?
ACCELERATOR Terrifying link between booze and deadliest cancer discovered – are you drinking too much?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
SCIENTISTS may have discovered how booze can trigger pancreatic cancer - the deadliest cancer in the world.
They think alcohol causes inflammation in the pancreas, damaging cells and leading to precancerous lesions, which can, over time, turn into deadly tumors.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Alcohol could be speeding up the deadly development of pancreatic cancer
Credit: Getty
2
Scientists uncover how booze transforms healthy pancreas cells into cancerous ones
Credit: Getty
Some 10,500 people are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
And only about only around one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more.
More than half of people die within three months of diagnosis.
This is partly because it shows no symptoms until it has already spread to other parts of the body, making it incredibly hard to treat.
While surgery, chemotherapy and radiation can help extend life, they rarely offer a cure.
Previous research, cited by Cancer Research, has already established a link between alcohol and pancreatic cancer.
It shows that the risk is higher for people who consume three or more units of alcohol a day, compared to those who drink less.
To put it in perspective, three units is roughly the equivalent of one pint (568ml) of 5.2 per cent lager or one large glass (250ml) of 12 per cent wine.
The fresh study, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, sheds new light on how alcohol-induced inflammation accelerates the development of the deadly disease.
The researchers, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, found that alcohol activates a molecule called CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) in the pancreas.
Understand the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer to beat it early
This molecule plays a key role in how alcohol-induced inflammation leads to cancer.
'CREB is not just a mediator of inflammation; it is a molecular orchestrator that permanently converts acinar cells into precancerous cells, which ultimately progress to high-grade neoplasia,' said Dr Nagaraj Nagathihalli, senior author of the study.
This means that CREB turns healthy pancreatic cells into cells that are more likely to become cancerous.
Once this process starts, it can't be undone, significantly increasing the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Dr Siddharth Mehra, the study's lead author, added, 'Our model serves as an important platform for understanding how chronic inflammation related to alcohol consumption accelerates the development of pancreatic cancer.'
The study suggests that blocking CREB could potentially stop the cancerous process in those who continue to booze.
'By targeting CREB, we may be able to prevent the development of pancreatic tumors, even in those who continue to drink,' Dr Mehra added.
NHS to search for pancreatic cancer cases
In June, the NHS launched a drive to catch pancreatic cancer before symptoms show.
GP teams will comb through patient records to identify anyone over 60 who may have signs of the cancer, such as a recent diagnosis of diabetes and sudden weight loss.
Figures suggest that around half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have been diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes recently.
The doctors will contact patients and offer them urgent blood tests and CT scans to either diagnose the cancer or rule it out.
Newly diagnosed diabetes patients often have similar symptoms to a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also affected by diabetes.
More than 300 GP practices in England will be involved in the three-year pilot, which is set to be fully operational by this autumn.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Social apnoea' could raise your risk of deadly heart disease, dementia and even death – 3 weekend habits to blame
Up to 10million Brits are thought to have sleep apnoea DON'T SLEEP ON IT 'Social apnoea' could raise your risk of deadly heart disease, dementia and even death – 3 weekend habits to blame Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FUN weekend habits might be putting our health at risk by triggering a condition that also causes terrible snoring, research suggests. Scientists from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, reckon loads of us have a newly discovered condition called 'social apnoea'. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Millions of Brits' health is at risk due to heavy snoring (stock image) Credit: Alamy It is a version of sleep apnoea, which causes heavy snoring and disrupted breathing in the night, brought on by Friday and Saturday revelling. They suggest it is triggered by spending our weekends drinking alcohol, smoking and having lie-ins. As many as 10million Brits are thought to suffer typical sleep apnoea, raising their risk of depression, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and dementia. Now even more might have it only at the weekend after letting loose. Experts studied data from mattress sensors given to 70,000 people worldwide. Men affected worse than women They found sleep apnoea was 18 per cent more likely on Saturdays than Wednesdays. The likelihood was 21 per cent higher in men compared to nine per cent higher for women. Having a lie-in to catch up on lost sleep further boosted the risk by up to 47 per cent. The results mean people, and especially men, are significantly more likely to snore badly on the weekends. Writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the study authors said: 'A variety of factors can influence obstructive sleep apnoea severity, many of which exhibit a strong day-of-week effect. Your ultimate sleep toolkit in 13 steps - from recording snoring to daylight hack 'An increase in alcohol consumption and smoking has been documented over weekends. 'This is consistent with our finding that the social apnoea effect is particularly intensified in men and younger individuals, groups with higher alcohol consumption and smoking behaviours.' Lead author Dr Lucia Pinilla added: 'Sleep apnoea is already a major public health issue but our findings suggest its true impact may be underestimated. 'Most clinical diagnostic testing is done on a single weeknight, missing the weekend effect we're now calling social apnoea.' The NHS says sleep apnoea can leave people feeling very tired during the day, causing mood swings, trouble concentrating and even car crashes. It recommends sufferers go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, lose weight if they are overweight, exercise regularly and sleep on their side. Avoiding smoking, drinking and sleeping pills can also help, it adds.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Warning after woman left with agonising blisters from picking blackberries which could have KILLED her
The woman has been told to keep her arm out of the sun for at least four months and ensure she wears factor 50 sun cream SUMMER HORROR Warning after woman left with agonising blisters from picking blackberries which could have KILLED her – know the signs Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN was left with 'agonising' blisters and "burning" skin after she picked blackberries which could have killed her. Nature lover Sue Harries suffered extreme pain after a toxic plant left her covered in a horrifying rash. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Hogweed can grow up to 16ft (stock image) Credit: Getty 2 Sue Harries was collecting the berries near her home when her arm brushed nearby hogweed Credit: WNS The 53-year-old, from Swansea, Wales, was collecting berries near her home when her arm brushed nearby hogweed. The plant, which is officially known as Heracleum sphondylium, has toxic sap, stems, leaves and fruit which can leave lasting damage. Sue didn't spot anything wrong straight away but a rash spread across her arm and back within hours. She was covered in blisters and in "agony" as the wounds developed and is still reeling from the affects weeks later. Doctors told Sue if she had eaten any blackberries touched by the plant, her airways could have closed. She said: "Even now, my arm is burning, literally burning. I didn't feel anything at the time, I must have just brushed past it. "I went to my doctor a week later because I've been in and I honestly mean it, I've been in agony with it. "I just want people to know about it because I never knew it was toxic and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this." Sue will now be forced to keep her arm out of the sun for at least four months. The 53-year-old must also ensure she wears factor 50 sun cream, or keep the affected areas covered for at least the next five years. Boy, 9, left with horrific burns and blisters after brushing past 'Putin' toxic plant while playing football in the park Brits have been issued an urgent warning about the dangerous plant. In June last year, Jenson Price was left with agonising blisters when he brushed past giant hogweed. The nine-year-old had come into contact with the plant while running to fetch the football during the kickabout with his friends in Ryhope Park, Sunderland. The toxic sap from the plant increases the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, often leading to burns - and sometimes blindness. While in June 2022, Ella, a 22-month-old toddler, was rushed to hospital having touched giant hogweed. Ella was taken to two hospitals, North Tees and James Cook, but doctors and medics were unable to determine what had caused such injuries. The tot required intensive treatment, doctors had to burst her blisters, carve away her dead skin, and finally bandaged her hands. A similar incident occurred the same year when Chavana Neuweg's six-year-old daughter suffered poisoning from a hemlock plant growing in their garden. The young child suffered a severe rash and trouble breathing, resulting in a trip to the hospital. Dog owners have also been warned about the dangers the plant poses to our furry friends. Hogweed can tower up to 16ft tall, according to the RHS, with long green stems with purple blotches, huge branches of small white flowers and green leaves. Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, previously said: "Giant hogweed was without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain". It is native to the Caucasus but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now gotten out of control.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
An ancient 250-mile-wide blob is heading towards New York City
Picture a cross between the movies, The Blob and Volcano (Picture: Getty/Metro) A gigantic blob is slowly creeping towards New York City – and there's nothing we can do to stop it. Well, kind of. Researchers from the University of Southampton have discovered a mass of molten rock underneath the Eastern US. The slime, known as the Northern Appalachian Anomaly, stretches 2249 miles wide and is oozing southwest at 12 miles per million years. But don't worry about being stuck behind it and being late to work – it sits 124 miles underground, according to the study in the journal Geology. It's considered a thermal anomaly because it's far hotter than where it sits in the asthenosphere, a semi-molten layer of Earth. Study lead and geoscientist Tom Gernon told Metro that the thermal lump has long puzzled scientists, as it doesn't quite fit into our understanding of how contents formed. The anomaly may have split Greenland from North America 80 million years ago, the study suggests (Picture: University of Southampton) Earth used to be a supercontinent called Pangaea. But our planet is a massive puzzle and its pieces, tectonic plates, are always moving around on a layer of molten rock. Gernon said: 'Imagine pulling a toffee bar apart, the toffee thins. That's exactly what happens to continents when they're stretched apart.' About 180million years ago, Pangaea broke apart and North America drifted from Africa. Experts have long believed that the blob was leftover magma from this geological shift. Yet the study, which included the Helmholtz Center for Geosciences in Germany, said the blob is a lot 'younger' than that. 'We proposed it formed when Greenland and Canada separated. So, admittedly not too much younger, it's 90million years old,' Gernon said. To map the molten sludge's route, scientists used seismic tomography, which is essentially an MRI for tectonic plates. The thermal upwelling's route (Picture: Metro) Researchers found that the blob might be holding up the Appalachian Mountains Getty Images) The blobs form because of something called 'mantle wave' theory. The idea, Gernon said, is that hot rock sitting just outside the Earth's core rises to fill the cracks in the crust caused by rifts. This hot goo peels off the weakest layer of tectonic plates, 'like the blobs of a hot lava lamp', and lifts the crust from below. 'Think of a hot air balloon, you're happily bopping along and you drop the weight, you rise up. This anomaly is cutting the weight – the weakened layer of the crust – so the whole plate becomes lighter and lifts,' Gernon said. The seismic lava lamp could explain why the Appalachian Mountains are still standing tall despite years of erosion and why volcanic activity in the region causes diamonds to reach the surface. As the blob drifts away from the Appalachians, the mountain range will slowly begin to sag without the thermal lift. This syrup isn't anything for New Yorkers to be concerned about – its centre won't pass through the Big Apple for the next 15trillion years. Nor will it bring about the Apocalypse when it does so. 'It's not going to be a big, crazy, super volcanic eruptions, nothing like that at all,' he said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page An ancient 250-mile-wide hot blob is heading for New York City credit: METRO GRAPHICS / Getty 'It's quite quiet, subtle things that happen over very long periods. Someone told me it's the millionth of a snail's pace – it's not something people need to be worried about.' While the study was focused on the Northern Appalachian Anomaly, the team also looked at a hot zone beneath North Central Greenland, which is influencing the region's miles-thick ice sheets. 'Something that happened 90million years ago can still have an impact on us today,' Gernon added. 'It's an interesting thought experiment, to go and re-examine these ancient things that we didn't really understand. 'Maybe, in the light of this new idea, we can realise what interesting effects they're having on the surface.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
