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The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.
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Mouthwashes can cause oral cancer and should be removed from supermarket shelves, an expert said recently.
There is 'sufficient evidence' that those containing alcohol contribute to increased risk of the disease, according to a review of the latest studies by an Australian scientist.
Professor Michael McCullough, whose findings are published in the Dental Journal of Australia, said some mouthwashes were more dangerous than wine or beer because they contained higher concentrations of alcohol - as high as 26 per cent.
He said they should only be available with a prescription and for short-term use.
'We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash, so what we've done in this study is review all the evidence that's out there,' he said.
Smoking and alcohol consumption are well-established risk factors in oral cancer which is diagnosed in 5,000 people in the UK each year, and causes 1,600 deaths.
Professor McCullough, from Melbourne University, said the alcohol in mouthwash allows cancer-causing substances such as nicotine to penetrate the lining of the mouth more easily.
And it can mean a toxic breakdown product of alcohol called acetaldehyde - another carcinogen - can accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth.
The review reported evidence from an international study of 3,210 people which found daily mouthwash use was a 'significant risk factor' for head and neck cancer.
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(Agencies)
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一位專家近日稱，漱口水可能會導致口腔癌，并呼吁超市停售這類產品。
澳大利亞一名科學家對近期的一些相關研究進行調研后做出評論：目前有“足夠的證據”可證明含有酒精的漱口水會增加患口腔癌的風險。
麥克爾?邁克洛夫教授稱，一些漱口水比葡萄酒或啤酒還要危險，因為它們所含的酒精濃度較高，達到26%。該研究結果在《澳大利亞口腔健康》期刊上發表。
邁克洛夫教授指出，漱口水應需處方才能購買，而且建議只能短期使用。
他說：“我們發現口腔癌患者正是使用了含有酒精的漱口水，而并未涉及其它風險因素，所以在這項研究中，我們深入分析了現有的全部病例。”
吸煙和飲酒已被認定為口腔癌的主要發病因素，每年英國有五千人患口腔癌，死亡病例達1600人。
來自墨爾本大學的邁克洛夫教授稱，漱口水中的酒精會導致煙堿等致癌物更易滲入口腔內壁。
而且酒精的代謝產物乙醛也容易通過漱口過程在口腔中堆積，這種物質也會致癌。
該評論報告了一項有3210人參加的全球性研究提供的證據。這項研究發現，每天用漱口水是導致患頭頸癌的一個“很重要的風險因素”。
（英語點津姍姍編輯）
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