hey, i'm dave. (my introduction post- http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=130391&page=1 )

i've just got a question.. i'm just seeing what people's thoughts are on alcohol consumption once treatment has finished, and things are back to 'normal'..?

i finished treatment in late november 2010, and have recovered very well since. i'm very close to being back to the life i was living before this all happened. and of late i've had 2-3 big nights. my beloved football team, the Brisbane Roar winning the Championship as well as catching up with mates who helped me through my journey was a good cause for celebration. and Coronas with lemon go down very comfortably for me.

I guess what i'm asking, is whether i should stop doing this because it's risking something (beyond the obvious affects of alcohol).. or does the occasional night with mates, having a good time and a fair few beers, have bigger repercussions than i realise..?
The theory i've listened to is that if everyone got cancer from drinking alcohol, then almost everyone would have it. i haven't had time to stop and think about it. i've just enjoyed my few nights out with friends like i was back to normal..
Do i have anything to be worried about? and should i stop drinking decent amounts on occasions? i see my surgeon tomorrow and will ask him. i almost expect he'll have very few worries about me doing this, because no one's mentioned it before..i'm just curious to see what people's thoughts are? of course, i'd be willing to give up drinking if i thought it was doing me some damage to my prospects in fighting cancer. i recently had a clear scan of the neck. But am i doing myself more damage after previously being a cancer patient. moreso than your average joe blo who has a drink on the weekend.. ?

hope i've made some sense. thanks for any replies or advice given.
cheers,
dave

Hi Dave. I don't offer any advice except to check with your doctors but here is our experience. My husband pre-cancer diagnosis would have 2 Black Russians every single day. A Black Russian is Kahlua and Vodka. He never on any occasion ever has had more than 2 drinks per day but does have 1 or 2 drinks every day. Once John started treatments he stopped drinking alcohol and didn't have a drink again until a few months out of treatments. He now is back to drinking his 1 or 2 drinks a day but cuts them in half with water. He asked his RO and his ENT about drinking alcohol and they both said "all things in moderation". You are a lot younger than my husband so I don't know if John was younger if he would feel differently but his entire attitude is quality of life and enjoying life.

I'm sure others will chime in but I think this is one of those "touchy" subjects.

I wish you continued health and the rest of your life cancer free.

Hi Dave,

This topic has been discussed before on this forum. My husband Ron is 6 year's cancer free and had the same concern when he finished radiation. His Doctors said as long as you drink in moderation and it doesn't bother your throat, you should be OK. He likes Margaritas...so he has a couple every week. Knock on wood, he's still doing good!

All the best,

Shelley

Hi Dave,

Well, this is my thoughts.. you must remember our mouths are not the same after Radiation. Not enough saliva to help protect the lining of our mouths and throat.

So having a drink could be an irritate to those tissues. Having a drink with a milk base is a good idea. Or having something to coat the mouth first. I have had sour cream or a milk based drink first. I love my beer but I have to limit it. You are young and want to have a few with the mates but I would be very careful and not over do. Just something to think about.

Take care..Diane

Dave, my doc told me its not a good idea to make a habit of drinking. My situation is much different than yours, Im a 3 time OC survivor. I do not have a fourth time left so I can not take the risk of drinking alcohol. Most doctors will tell you not to overdo it and an occasional drink or two is ok. Please come back and let us know what your Aussie doc says.

hey guys.
thankyou for giving me your time to express your opinions on this. i guess there is no clear 'black and white' answer.. at this stage i only drink once a week, on the weekends. and that's only if there's something to celebrate. i by no means will drink for the sake of it as much anymore. but as one of you mentioned, we're here to enjoy life. so I'll still enjoy some beers when celebrating something with family & friends. and cutting back on how many drinks is an easy decision. I may be young, but i certainly don't feel invincible anymore! so i'll take things with a little more moderation, and less often.
hey Christine, i mentioned it to my surgeon. he didn't seem too worried. he basically expressed what's been said here. along the lines of it being ok to have some drinks, but don't get too carried away. I definitely understand your choice to give up alcohol after the 3rd time. i can't imagine how hard it must have been to go through everything 3 times.you must be a real fighter.

on that note, nothing unusual was seen or felt today on my neck or in my mouth. so good signs so far. fingers crossed it remains that way.

thanks again for your time in replying.
cheers,
dave

Hi Dave,
Great news that all went well with the visit to your surgeon yesterday�congratulations.
I�m off to the hospital in a couple of hours myself and I already know that the biopsy showed no cancer but it did show some issues we need to discuss. Will post later on my topic when I find out what is going on.
It is only now so many years later that I was asked about smoking and drinking by the surgeons?
Have not had even 1 ciggy since Aug 2006 and I did have a big habit!
I will not say too much about the alcohol as you will find some detailed discussions on the subject if you search for it.
I will say though I do have have wine/chapagne now and then. I do however buy no alcohol mouth wash
I only enjoy a beer on those hot summer days (as you know if have lots of those in Oz).
I always have some in the fridge however for more than the last 12 months I have been buying no alcohol beer.
I started getting it because my Dad is not allowed alcohol because of pancreas problems.
I get it from Coles or Woolies and to me (us) it tastes just like the real stuff. PM me for details if you like. Don�t knock it till you try it because I know I could do a blind beer tasting with friends who would not know the difference.
Cheers
Gabriele

Dave, I've grappled with this question as well. All my adult life I've enjoyed alcohol, generally beer and wine. I'd have a couple of glasses every night though rarely more than that. Never smoked.

When I finished treatment my RO told me this: you shouldn't drink alcohol any more; if you want to have a glass of champagne on new year's or your birthday, fine. But that's it.

She went on to explain that alcohol consumption, being one of the causative agents of our cancer - yours and mine, SCC - was something best avoided if I didn't want to risk a re-occurrence.

I know that other doctors feel differently, and this even includes the MO I consulted early in my treatment before it was decided that I wouldn't need chemo.

I really love wine. One of my favorites is your very own Aussie Shiraz, of which I have 10 or so very nice bottles left in my small collection that I'll eventually be giving to friends.

It pains me to do so, and with the weather getting hotter here in LA I'm facing a third summer without a cold beer at the end of the day...

But I decided that I prefer breathing to drinking.

My two cents.
David2

thanks guys.David2, that's not the news i wanted to hear but i was kind of expecting it. i think I'll continue to drink to celebrate things. in moderation and less often. It's hard to take advice without any feasible proof. I'm not saying your doctor is wrong at all, but I trust my surgeon to give me good advice for my situation. it's definitely a tough one. thankyou for your advice, it'll definitely be a reminder to me to take it easy and not go getting myself 'written off' anytime soon.

Gabe, i might consider that idea. but without alcohol, i'm not sure beer's as appealing to me I'll have a think about it. thankyou

cheers again.
this site is proving very helpful

Hi all
Long time no post! Hope you're all smiling more often than not.

This post has got me thinking a little. Maybe cause i like to drink (a little)!

If you are to get a recurrence, it is because either your surgery (if thats all you had like me) missed a tiny bit of cancerous cells, or because your chemo/rads (if you had either of them) did not wipe out one or more cancerous cells...Therefore they will eventually mutliply again? What i write next assumes this logic is right, so someone maybe get in and correct me early before i misinform the good people on this forum!

So, if surgery/chemo/rads all worked and there are no cancerous cells in your body - then having a drink or three once or twice a week shouldnt put you in a high risk bracket for getting cancer - as Dave said earlier (Hi Dave, by the way!) "if everyone got cancer from drinking alcohol...."

And if your treatments didnt work 100% effectively, wouldnt you get a recurrence regardless of whether you drink alcohol?

Happy to delete this post if it turns out to be very poorly informed, as dont want someone to be searching for the answer sometime down the track and see my post and inadvertently think its correct!!

Cheers!!
jon