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See the original image at abcnews.go.com

Heavy Drinkers' Genes May Cut Cancer Risk

abcnews.go.com — Could your genes actually help lower the risk of getting cancer when drinking alcohol? A new study says that this may be possible.

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  • wsxedc, on 05/27/2008, -36/+1FIRST!!!
    • RonniSR, on 05/27/2008, -2/+7Congrats dumb ass!!!
    • econoar, on 05/27/2008, -1/+6Now enjoy last
    • dpcamp, on 05/27/2008, -1/+2Is it 2004 again?
    • tomjm5000, on 05/27/2008, -1/+2I gasped aloud when I read that... even the worst diggers never sink so low!

      Maybe because the nature of digg makes it very easy to be the first poster if you want (by either submitting or going to upcoming stories).
    • borez, on 05/27/2008, -1/+2Enjoy, it'll probably be the only time you do come first
    • xerexes1, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Congratulations. Now you are blocked.
    • dhughes, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1 First 1.7
  • fallenone05, on 05/27/2008, -18/+7FIRST!!! *****!!!
    • RonniSR, on 05/27/2008, -1/+4LOSER!!!!
    • antiorblkflag9, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
  • Zoplax, on 05/27/2008, -2/+3If I were a cancer cell and my host were alcoholic, I could metastasize. Or not.
  • RonniSR, on 05/27/2008, -3/+10Love when i have a good reason to get drunk :)
  • MikeFallopian, on 05/27/2008, -1/+13Ahh, I knew that gene would come in useful someday.
    • Travisncs, on 05/27/2008, -4/+1"come in useful" ?

      that's a new one for me
    • infecticide, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2I have a friend of mine who is Native American and he refers to it as "The Native Gene"
  • Nrvana423, on 05/27/2008, -2/+24But all that drinking will just cause me to smoke more, which will just cause cancer again.
    • antiorblkflag9, on 05/27/2008, -0/+4Just talking about drinking makes me want to light one up, or maybe that's just the nicotine
  • ElAssoWipo, on 05/27/2008, -2/+2The people they study have cancer and they think that people with those genes are protected from cancer because they "metabolize" alcohol faster?

    But, they ALL have cancer. Does not seem to workout too well.
    • DogBotherer, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Well yes, though the article doesn't give us much information about the study I'm assuming this was because of their selection criteria or sample. Genes which increase the speed of alcohol metabolism might reduce the incidence of some cancers, but you'd need a different study design to look at it.

      As far as I can work out from the article, all the study shows is that some people (possibly those who drink heavily, that bit isn't very clear) possess genes which speed up alcohol metabolism, the headline is misleading.
    • TheUngod, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Orrrr....they could just be dying earlier and not at the age where they get cancer yet. Now that's nipping the problem in the bud!
  • holzp, on 05/27/2008, -0/+30Beer: the cause of and solution to all life's problems.
    • leerayIG88, on 05/27/2008, -2/+1now that would be prefect for a beer commercial.
  • pushmouse, on 05/27/2008, -0/+9I am going to live forever.
  • BitKid, on 05/27/2008, -0/+12It doesn't mean that you have to drink in order to decrease your risk for cancer. The article is saying that people who have a genetic predisposition that allows their bodies to metabolize alcohol faster may be at a lower risk for cancer.
    • EmperorAwesome, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1As exemplified by the horribly innaccurate image used in the article: a petite woman sipping some white wine, under a headline including the words "Heavy Drinkers".
    • rumblebelly, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1You forgot to mention that it only helps against alcohol related cancer.
  • Procure, on 05/27/2008, -3/+4I see that genes may cut your cancer risk, but the detrimental effects on your liver, mouth, throat, and stomach that come with a lifetime of binge drinking pretty much cancel out all benefits from genes.
    • ohmahgawd, on 05/27/2008, -0/+4For the mouth, throat, and stomach... inject everclear into your veins! Bypass everything like that! It's so easy.
      For your liver... there's actually a drug out there that makes your kidney's do all the work.
      For your kidneys... well, you can manage with just one, and buy the other off of the blackmarket if you need to.
      For your brain? Who needs that when you're drunk.
  • rockrapdude, on 05/27/2008, -1/+7Holy crap, thanks dad!
  • jlee2081, on 05/27/2008, -3/+2salute to that!
  • watzkot, on 05/27/2008, -5/+279,000 die of excessive alcohol use? Are they talking about alcohol over dose or the idiots that drink and drive.
  • ligyron, on 05/27/2008, -7/+1FIRST
  • ihazstatus, on 05/27/2008, -1/+5I can hear it from my alcoholic uncle now: "But ABC News said....."

    Just like I heard it from my fat aunt: "But Dark chocolate is good for you"..."yeah, one ounce a day"... "well how much is this.. "a pound" "..........."
  • Ryan0617, on 05/27/2008, -0/+3more news about cancer^^. What else can we get it from?
  • angusmancan, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1But officer, how could you arrest me? I'm preventing cancer damnit!
  • synyster, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2did the researchers celebrate their results by get drunk?
  • atomicrobot, on 05/27/2008, -4/+1So you won't get cancer, but your liver will fail prematurely and you will look 10 years older as a result of all that drinking.
    • heavystone, on 05/27/2008, -0/+6Only if your an alcoholic...sheesh man chill out.
  • julia009, on 05/27/2008, -2/+0heyy its good reason to get drunk
  • heavystone, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2So I guess the classic toast "To your health" is a more accurate one than we all thought eh?
  • ShitStainedBall, on 05/27/2008, -0/+15What seems to be the officer problem?
    • JasonsLan, on 05/27/2008, -0/+3there's no blood in my alcohol level occifer..
  • dhughes, on 05/27/2008, -3/+2 My uncle died last year, he was an alcoholic but hadn't had a drink in quite a while, or so he said, he still smoked occasionally too - every hour.
    The year before last he was diagnosed with lung cancer and stomach cancer which spread to his brain and spine. Amazingly he lasted for quite a while in that condition, far longer than anyone wanted er..hoped.
    I guess it's true drinking does help you live longer when you have cancer only it's at the same time you do have cancer!
  • uncertain, on 05/27/2008, -1/+4Cancer is extremely clever. It knows it doesn't have to waste its time on alcoholics. They're already killing themselves.
    • EmperorAwesome, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Back off, pill-pusher, I'm writing my own prescription.
  • jamesglanville, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0Okay seriously this article has missed the point. All the research showed that those with a high natural tolerance to alcohol had a lower risk of cancer. As a rule, those with a higher tolerance are healthier anyway. Correlation != causality.
  • 89vision, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Well atleast I have something going for me.
  • itsgotyou, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2I'll balance it out by smoking while drinking.
  • SirZRX, on 05/27/2008, -0/+3study sponsored by CORONA EXTRA
  • Rivfader, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Alright so masturbating keeps cancer away - check
    Alcohol abuse keeps cancer away now too - double check
    • macweirdo42, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Alright, I got a beer in one hand, and... er... my manhood in the other. I'm gonna live forever!
  • bookon, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1I don't know, I come from a long line of drunks who died of cancer.
  • lumbergh, on 05/27/2008, -1/+1Cancer is another word for aging. If nothing else gets you, eventually cancer will. The reason why we age visibly, is because cell replication slows down, because it wants to hold off the inevitable cancer as long as possible, because a cell can only duplicate a certain number of times before its code has to decay...
  • Testies, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0So let me understand this.
    Drinking alcohol might reduce risk of getting cancer caused by consuming alcohol?
    Whoa!!!! You just blew my mind, man.

  • Pollmak, on 05/27/2008, -1/+1This study is more than likely sponsored by a Liquor company.
    Alcohol is only good for cleaning cut and grazes.
    If you drink Alcohol (the product of fermentation!), your body will become Acidic. When you body becomes to Acidic it created more fat cells to buffer the acid in you system. (Most over weight people have high acid diets.)
    If you body remains more acidic that alkaline, it created the perfect environment for the bacteria in your system to proliferate and thus make you weak to fight off infections and the give you many diseases and eventually cancers.

    The best advise: Moderation is all things keeps you balanced.
    • mbm1512, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0Thats an interesting take Pollmak, I've never heard this alkaline/acid ratio in the body. What are techniques to help maintain an alkaline environment in ones body?
    • UrinalPooper, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1If moderation is the key to the door of happiness, indulgence is the %)(*ing chainsaw.
  • borez, on 05/27/2008, -0/+2Good...

    /cracks open beer
  • Princeamor, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1I don't buy it, I call *****. They were probably drunk when making this conclusion.
  • promoe, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Haha, I will drink more then.
  • mbm1512, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0Somehow, I have a feeling that this submission is tied closely to the alcohol industry. Its like saying that smoking will reduce your heart disease risk since your less stressed after a smoke. But you still die from emphysema. Perhaps alcohol will have this effect, but your better off saving your liver and not dieing of liver failure at forty five. Nevertheless can't wait to drop this little fun fact at a partay.
  • Camaroman, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Hell yea! I've been waiting for this news my entire drinking life.
  • Chronoped, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1Then all you have to do is take LSD to cure your alcoholism and the cycle of health will be complete!
  • Haoie, on 05/27/2008, -0/+0Regardless of the research, it's still no excuse to drink irresponsibly.
  • lemur, on 05/28/2008, -0/+1So if your body is better at dealing with alcohol, you are less likely to get cancer from drinking? How about not drinking at all.
  •  

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