Link Between Alcohol And Cancer Explained: Alcohol Activates Cellular Changes That Make Tumor Cells Spread

**Alcohol consumption** has long been linked to **cancer** and its spread, but the underlying mechanism has never been clear. Now, researchers at Rush University Medical Center have identified a cellular pathway that may explain the link. In a study published in a recent issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the researchers found that alcohol stimulates what is called the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, in which run-of-the-mill **cancer cells** morph into a more aggressive form and begin to spread throughout the body. More on "rush.edu":[ http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?id=1300]

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