Alcohol is an INDEPENDENT risk factor for oral cancer. It is synergistic to tobacco and additive to HPV. Volume and duration of exposure is the key here. You have to be putting down 15 drinks a week or more for a protracted period of time to be at high risk. This number was ARBITRARILY arrived at by a panel of risk factors at the NIH since there was no existing study at the time to draw from. But alcohol alone will do the trick; add tobacco and the two play off of each other to really accelerate the process.

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.