engleski

Alcohol Levels in Saliva Related to the Anatomical Sites of the Oral Cavity

It is well known that alcohol is responsible for the development of cancer in the "saliva reservoir" areas of the oral cavity (floor of the mouth, retromolar area, tongue and mandibular gingiva). In 96% out of 851 of our patients cancer of the reservoir was present, more often in males (97% vs. 86%). Alcohol was significantly correlated with cancer of the oral reservoir in tobacco smoking male patients, especially of the floor of the mouth, retromolar region and tongue. In tobacco smoking female patients, alcohol was equally responsible for the development of cancer of the mandibular gingiva and the retromolar region, but not for the cancer of the tongue. Salivary alcohol levels were evaluated in one "reservoir" area (floor of the mouth) and two "non-reservoir" areas (upper anterior vestible and palate) in thirty volunteers. The alcohol level was determined at 1, 10, 20, 30 and 60-minute intervals following consumption of 150 ml of whiskey using the Quantitative Enzyme Diagnostic Saliva Alcohol Test (Enzymatics, Inc.). The highest level of alcohol was found in the floor of the mouth, i.e. the saliva reservoir. The site of higher level of alcohol is in correlation with typical localizations of oral cavity cancer, therefore alcohol may be considered cancerogenic. However, the duration of direct alcohol effect following a single consumption is only 20 minutes, while the effect of saliva excreted alcohol in the floor of the mouth lasts approximately 7, 7 hours. It is with a great degree of certainty that we may conclude that an alcoholic will continue to consume alcohol during the resorption period and have a continuous effect of a certain amount of alcohol on the mucosa of the oral cavity, especially the saliva reservoir. Therefore the carcinogenic effect of alcohol on the oral cavity mucosa is a result of the prolonged effect of alcohol excreted in saliva and not through the contact of high levels of alcohol following alcoholic beverage consumption.

saliva; alcohol; oral cancer

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