Mouthwash linked to oral cancer

[Torurot]

Mouthwash linked to oral cancer
Monday, 12 January 2009

Claims of a link between antiseptic mouthwash and oral cancer have divided leading dental experts.

A review article published in the current issue of the Dental Journal of Australia concludes there is now "sufficient evidence" that "alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer".

However, Professor Laurence Walsh, head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland has rejected the claim and said their was no established link between mouthwash and oral cancer.

In a letter to the editors of the journal, Professor Walsh criticised the authors of the paper for drawing on a "small and selective group of studies".

"A wide range of critical and systematic reviews over many years have failed to show any statistically significant association between mouthwash use and oral cancer," he said.

"There is certainly nothing in the current paper to change our thinking in that regard."

According to the article, which is authored by several independent experts, ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

Mouthwash is one of the fastest-growing grocery products in Australia, with the category now worth more than $75 million, according to the latest Nielsen market research.

Lead review author Professor Michael McCullough, associate professor of oral medicine at the University of Melbourne, told News Ltd that alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as prescription-only and carry written health warnings.

- AAP

[Road Runner]

I'm guessing that the risk of oral cancer from mouthwash is very much less than the likelyhood of getting tooth decay from poor oral hygene.

Or to put it another way - you're still very much more likely to die from old age.

RR.

[rxpharm]

Would have to see the methodology of the study to make a judgement - however, I would say that people who drink booze should have a higher incidence of mouth cancer if this is proven true.

Somehow I don't think this will be proven true.

[manarak]

could it be that a lot of people using mouthwash are also heavy smokers?

[SamplerDoc]

After reading the study, I conclude its pure BS

I also, would go with whatever RX says just because has some medical smarts

[Torurot]

Some mouth washes had an unbelievable 25% alcohol content. The methodology should be in the study by University Melbourne. Australia. It received a lot of coverage yesterday. Considering how some BM scull down this stuff it was worth bringing it to notice.

[sev7en]

Rinse, tourot, rinse please.

[Torurot]

REVIEW
The role of alcohol in oral carcinogenesis with particular reference to alcohol-containing mouthwashes
MJ McCullough*, CS Farah€ 
*Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Victoria.
€ School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Queensland.
Correspondence to Michael McCullough
Associate Professor
Oral Medicine
Melbourne Dental School
The University of Melbourne
720 Swanston Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3010
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © 2008 Australian Dental Association
KEYWORDS
Oral cancer €¢ alcohol €¢ alcohol-containing mouthwash
ABSTRACT

Worldwide, oral cancer represents approximately 5 per cent of all malignant lesions, with over 800 new intra-oral squamous cell carcinomas registered in Australia each year. Despite recent advances in therapy, the five-year survival rate remains around 50 per cent and the sequelae of treatment can be seriously debilitating. It has been long established that smoking and alcohol consumption are risk factors linked to the development of oral cancer. This review assesses the epidemiological evidence, supportive in vitro studies and mechanism by which alcohol is involved in the development of oral cancer. Further, we review the literature that associates alcohol-containing mouthwashes and oral cancer. On the basis of this review, we believe that there is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer and further feel that it is inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes.

(Accepted for publication 30 March 2008.)

[Tomcat]

Although these reports may seem like scaremongering one has to remember that the press only picked on one report and there may be others that nullilfy this..

The upside is that the battle with Cancer is slowly being won and i notice that some recent developments give some cause for hope. I would think that the alert from mouthwash was a side effect from the main thrust into cancer research which is in fact a cause i support.

Actually with the advance of technology at an exponential rate its will be no surprise that discoveries  and nasty links will be found more often.  

Its been known for some time that some kinds of PVC are potential dangers and cause cancer....forget Tobacco or mouthwash , wait until this one blows open ...

i suppose it keeps the lawyers busy.