Abstract
Most geneticists and biochemists who work on environmental mutagenesis agree that environmental carcinogenesis is caused by agents that induce genotoxicity, including mutations, chromosome aberrations, and mitotic anomalies, in somatic cells. However, not every person develops cancer after similar exposure to mutagens, such as tobacco. It is generally believed that sensitivity to mutagens, hence susceptibility to cancer, is a reflection of a person’s innate capability to repair genetic damage (of DNA and chromosomes) inflicted by mutagens.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
German J. Chromosome Mutation and Neoplasia. New York: Alan R Liss, 1983.
Setlow RB, Regan JD, German J, Carrier WL. Evidence that xeroderma pigmentosum cells do not perform the first step in the repair of ultra-violet damage to DNA. Proc Nat Mad Sci USA 64:1035–1041, 1969.
Cleaver J, Bootsma D. Xeroderma pigmentosum: Biochemical and genetic characteristics. Annual Review of Genetics 9:19–38, 1975.
Farrington JM, Delhanty JDA, Baden HP. Unscheduled DNA synthesis, UV-induced chromosome aberrations and SV40 transformation in cultured cells from xerodenna pigmentosum. Ann Hum Genet 35:149–160, 1971.
Willis AE, Weksberg R, Tomlinson S, Lindhahl T. Structural alterations of DNA ligase I in Bloom syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84:8016–8020, 1987.
Chan JYH, Becker FF, German J, Ray JH. Altered DNA ligase I activity in Bloom’s syndrome cells. Nature 325:357–359, 1987.
Spitz MR, Fueger JJ, Beddingfield NA, Annegers JF, Hsu TC, Newell GR, Schantz SP. Chromosome sensitivity to bleomycin-induced mutagenesis, an independent risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract cancers. Cancer Res 49:4626–4628, 1989.
Hsu TC,Furlong C,Spitz MR. Ethyl alcohol as a cocarcinogen with special reference to the aerodigestive tract: A cytogenetic study. Anticancer Res, in press.
Obe G, Anderson D. Genetic effects of ethanol. Mutat Res 186:177–200, 1987.
Editorial: Alcohol and cancer. Lancet 1:634–635, 1990.
Lin YC, Ho IC, Lee TC. Ethanol and acetaldehyde potentiate the clastogenicity of ultraviolet light, methyl methane-sulfonate, mitomycin C and bleomycin in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Mutat Res 216:93–99, 1989.
Hsu TC, Furlong C. Anticancer Res, in press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hsu, T.C. (1992). Alcohol: A Cocarcinogen in Head and Neck Malignancies. In: Newell, G.R., Hong, W.K. (eds) The Biology and Prevention of Aerodigestive Tract Cancers. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 320. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3468-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3468-6_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6536-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-3468-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive