Hi all, since having surgery (11 months ago), I made the conscious decision to no longer consume any alcoholic drinks. Despite not being a heavy drinker I thought it was the right thing to do.
However, I wondered whether non-alcoholic drinks that contain 0.5% alcohol would be deemed as any kind of risk?

Just wondered what others thought about this?
Many thanks

Hello Mr fox ,I would like to tell you my story I was beer drinker and smoker but quit all in 2012 snd just drank non alcoholic beer and still got tongue cancer in 2019 so now I also stay away from mouth wash containing alcohol if I was you I would be scare of any percentage of alcohol. Good luck.

As with just about everything relating to OC, it comes down to replies are based on individual specifics of each person (patient). Theres far too many variables involved even when attempting to compare patients with others who on paper seem to match. Just like if asking 1000 doctors if its ok to have a drink a week you would get a very wide variety of doctors saying similar things but thats based on patients who at first glance are very similar and ignoring the most likely red flag ... "everybody's different" The question of is it ok or not ok after going thru cancer, treatments and sometime during or following their recovery phase where does the patients doc stand on after OC alcohol consumption... This is an extremely complex question to answer! Several years ago many members weighed in on a thread on this topic with a general consensus that "in moderation" its ok to drink alcohol but since drinking is a major cause of OC it really is best to avoid it. So much for this being a simple black and white type of question, same thing when considering what the answer is. Im very sorry if I sound like Im making it so much harder than it needs to be!!!

My doc (ENT) and I had several discussions on this topic, His advice to me was absolutely no alcohol of any kind, ever again or I went thru all the OC hell only to drink my way to an early grave. For me, prior to having OC drinking was something I very rarely did ... at most once a year or easily once every 3+ years, or it could be situations in my life putting me in an unusually high amount of events where 99% of attendees have a drink or 2. My ENT also told me the percentage of alcohol is something important to watch if I chose to have a drink with beer or wine having significantly less alcohol than hard liquor. If I were to drink something always try finding the least alcohol as possible. That says to me what you asked about if the amount so low it wouldnt count as being something containing alcohol. Avoiding drinking as much as possible helps to avoid the docs concern of the drink burning your sensitive mouth and throat.

Clear as mud huh? Im very sorry but its so complex and often being OC survivors our docs dont always come right out with a direct answer of either yes or no they say its ok. Best thing I can suggest is to ask each one of your doctors what they think is best for your situation. That is if you are able to tolerate a couple sips without it burning your mouth and throat so much you are instantly in extreme pain. Maybe that would be what makes the decision for you. Every one of us who had rads are much different when they are fully recovered than before they had cancer. Im 14 years post OC (the first one of 3x) and to this day I cant imagine swallowing anything containing alcohol. Im not able to tolerate a quick swish of mouthwash even if it contains a lowered amount of alcohol... my mouth and throat would instantly be on fire just from taking a tiny sip.

Hope you get a much better (and clearer) answer for your docs!!! Please let us know how you make out. Best wishes!!!!!!

My Dana Farber Doctor told me don't even drink the tiny toast at you daughter's wedding. When I mentioned non-alcohol beer she asked about the % and said that one or two a week would be OK. So I guess the answer it that it can be a problem so drink it only occaisionally.

Hello,Heineken and budweiser make 0% alcohol beer now available everywhere for some of us beer lovers.

My oncologist said an occasional drink was okay and although I have abstained from alcohol since 2007, I used to enjoy non-alcoholic beer on occasion. After my sixth surgery in 2019 I visited a naturopath who was willing to work with me in conjunction to my other physicians. She suggested that I had silent reflux and placed me on a low acid diet. This involved giving up soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer and a large number of foods such as tomatoes, citrus, pineapple, tart apples, mango, and most berries. It also ruled out seltzers and any carbonated beverages. It limits chocolate, coffee, and tea. Although i did have a recurrence of cancer in 2020 and had 3 more surgeries, radiation, and chemo, I have stuck to this diet and my mouth has been calmer than it's been since 2010.

I'm not saying that all oral cancer survivors should give up alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages, but I know that in my case it made all the difference.

In my opinion if you have proof and documentation that your cancer was caused by alcohol then by all means I wouldn't have any at all. If not, and you enjoy a few drinks here and there, and it was part of your normal life stye that you enjoyed, then I would go for it. Being happy certainly plays an important part in your health too. Is it ok for someone to have a drink that has never smoked or drank in their lifetime that now has oral cancer? What should they stop doing?

Reflux appears to be such a strong contributor to cancer development in so many areas. There is a surge of popularity of alkaline water however science is scant. The elevated pH is beneficial to neutralizing acid. As we're all aware, hydration is key regardless.