title: Alcohol consumption in patients with colorectal adenomatous polyps.
abstract: The risk of developing colorectal adenomatous polyps is probably increased by a variety of dietary and environmental factors. We found an association with current alcohol and cigarette consumption. The risk of polyps was increased three times in drinkers who did not smoke and two times in smokers who did not drink, with those who both drank and smoked having 12 times the risk of total abstainers. Since colonic adenomatous polyps are generally regarded as premalignant lesions, these results lend support to the view that alcohol consumption may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of colorectal neoplasia, thus reinforcing the proposed polyp/carcinoma sequence in colorectal carcinogenesis. The role of smoking, however, is less clear particularly since the lack of association of colorectal carcinoma and smoking has been reported in many other studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Leeds.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Cope
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.forename: I F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Pinder
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Heatley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kelleher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects