Question

Epidemiologists find a higher rate of oral cancer among drinkers than non-drinkers. If alcohol causes oral cancer, would that tend to create an association between Drinking and oral cancer?

Answer 1

Potentially yes.

Answer 2

If alcohol causes oral cancer, would drink be the causation of oral cancer?

Answer 3

what do you mean by saying potentially yes?

Answer 4

A higher rate does NOT establish causation. If you want CAUSE, you must establish the link.

Answer 5

Establishing that link takes time. For example, it was once thought that smoking did not cause lung cancer. The tobacco industry fought that claim. It was through the science and data collection that established that link and now we have warning on those products.

Answer 6

@precal I doubt that it true. That IS how it is often portrayed. The argument before C. Everett Coop was this:

Scientists: Smoking increases the risk of cancer.
Tobacco Companies: It has not been proven that smoking causes cancer.

They were arguing different things!

Answer 7

Look at Al Gore's "Inconvienent Truth" His family grew tobacco, his sister died from lung cancer. Back in the 80's, public schools had smoking areas. Look at the movie "Grease" and other movies in the 50's to 80's", actors smoked all the time.
It was not until the 90's that smoking areas in public schools were removed, and smoking was banned on govt buildings.

Answer 8

But it was proven that there is a link, that is why the warnings exist. Nowadays they are trying to raise the legal age of smoking to 21.

Answer 9

That is correct. Notice the time of C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General from 1982-1989. The link was proven long before this, but it was not admitted until Mr. Koop made it so. This is consistent with your comments.

Answer 10

wait a min, guys, I feel we are a little of the topic here. the question clearly says alcohol causes oral cancer. and ask us if there is an association between drinking and cancer or not.

Answer 11

This is why it is so subtle. The question does NOT state at all that alcohol causes cancer. It says, "If alcohol causes oral cancer..." It is stated as a plausible premise to be studied or proven. It begins a discussion based on the ASSUMPTION that alcohol causes cancer. According to the subtleties of this problem statement, the cause is yet to be proven.

If alcohol causes oral cancer, it is not difficult to imagine and increased rate of oral cancer in alcohol users.

If alcohol causes oral cancer, will society notice an association between alcohol and oral cancer? Maybe.

If alcohol causes a 5% increase in the incidence of oral cancer, and a very common companion of alcohol, tobacco, causes a 45% increase in the incidence of oral cancer, will our society notice an association between alcohol and oral cancer? Not likely.

If alcohol causes a 5% increase in the incidence of oral cancer and a 200% increase in hepatic cancers or other liver pathology, will our society notice an association between alcohol and oral cancer? Not likely.

I think the best we can state, when the question is "tend to create an association" is, "maybe". It depends on what other factors can be isolated and their relative significance.

Answer 12

are you saying there are different degrees to which alcohol can cause oral cancer? there are other significance confounding. but we still can tend to create an association between alcohol and oral cancer

Answer 13

Careful. You are still not quite understanding the question.
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Alcohol increases the risk of oral cancer

This statement establishes a positive statistical relationship
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Alcohol causes oral cancer

This statement establishes a cause and effect relationship
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Now, children, if you deal with alcohol, you will get oral cancer.

This is a social association with alcohol and oral cancer. More of an "Old Wives' Tale" than a scientific study.
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Just exactly what do we mean by "create an association"?

Answer 14

Alcohol has been shown to cause problems with developing babies, that is why you are now seeing warnings about consuming alcohol during pregnancy.