BOOZE LINK TO MOUTH CANCER RISE IN FORTIES; Shock figures alarm experts.

Byline: EMILY COOK

ALCOHOL is behind a huge rise in oral cancers among people in their 40s, experts said yesterday.

The number of men getting tumours of the mouth, tongue, lip and throat has shot up 28% since the mid-90s and women 24%.

And doctors blame booze consumption, which has doubled since the 50s. The figures were released by Cancer Research UK. The group's health information manager Hazel Nunn said: "These latest figures are really alarming.

"Around three quarters of oral cancers are thought to be caused by smoking and drinking alcohol. Tobacco is, by far, the main risk factor. But for people in their 40s, it seems other factors are also contributing to this jump in oral cancer rates.

"Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 50s and the trend we are seeing is likely to be linked to rising drinking levels."

Other risk factors that may be involved include a diet low in fruit and vegetables.

Each year around 5,000 new oral cancers are diagnosed in the UK and 1,800 people die from the disease. But Ms Nunn added: "Oral cancer can be treated successfully if it's caught early."

DRINKING just two cans of fizzy drinks a day could cause liver damage, according to scientists in Haifa, Israel.

4 STEPS TO HEALTH

FOUR simple lifestyle measures - not smoking, keeping slim, eating a healthy diet and regular exercise - together reduce the risk of deadly chronic diseases by up to 80%, a major US study has shown.