Ethanol consumption increases risk of oral cancer

Alcoholism is an illness whit a high index of morbidity in the world. Nowadays, it is known that the consumption of ethanol is more frequent among young people, so, this premature exposure produces an early tendency to develop some pathologies due to ethanol. Thus, chronic consumption of ethanol is a strong cause or risk to develop oral cancer in 40-65 year-old persons. Ethanol is oxidized in the oral cavity by means of the class III enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. This oxidation of ethanol produces an alteration to general oxidation system in the cells of the oral cavity. It is believed that the metabolic changes produces a deregulation in cell proliferation process and finishes with the development of oral cancer.