Dr. Sarah Wakeman

And so factoring that in as you're making your decisions about alcohol is really important.

And so factoring that in as you're making your decisions about alcohol is really important.

You know, it's different for every type of cancer. And I think we're just starting to understand this. If you take breast cancer, there are things that seem to increase hormone levels are often associated with a risk of cancer. So that's an area of active research to understand why alcohol and breast cancer in particular are so closely linked. Other types of cancer, it's a little more clear.

You know, it's different for every type of cancer. And I think we're just starting to understand this. If you take breast cancer, there are things that seem to increase hormone levels are often associated with a risk of cancer. So that's an area of active research to understand why alcohol and breast cancer in particular are so closely linked. Other types of cancer, it's a little more clear.

You know, it's different for every type of cancer. And I think we're just starting to understand this. If you take breast cancer, there are things that seem to increase hormone levels are often associated with a risk of cancer. So that's an area of active research to understand why alcohol and breast cancer in particular are so closely linked. Other types of cancer, it's a little more clear.

They tend to be cancers of the liver or the gut that are strongly associated with alcohol. And that makes sense if you think of alcohol as a potential poison going into your gut, being metabolized by your liver, causing changes there. That's an area that we do see a lot of cancer risk. Can you talk about what you're seeing as it relates to...

They tend to be cancers of the liver or the gut that are strongly associated with alcohol. And that makes sense if you think of alcohol as a potential poison going into your gut, being metabolized by your liver, causing changes there. That's an area that we do see a lot of cancer risk. Can you talk about what you're seeing as it relates to...

They tend to be cancers of the liver or the gut that are strongly associated with alcohol. And that makes sense if you think of alcohol as a potential poison going into your gut, being metabolized by your liver, causing changes there. That's an area that we do see a lot of cancer risk. Can you talk about what you're seeing as it relates to...

Yeah. So one of the main health harms from alcohol, especially heavy alcohol use, is liver damage. And so what we see happen is this progression where the first thing that happens is inflammation of the liver. And when your liver gets inflamed, you start getting fat deposit in the liver. So the first kind of step is what we sometimes call fatty liver. So it's fat deposition in your liver.

Yeah. So one of the main health harms from alcohol, especially heavy alcohol use, is liver damage. And so what we see happen is this progression where the first thing that happens is inflammation of the liver. And when your liver gets inflamed, you start getting fat deposit in the liver. So the first kind of step is what we sometimes call fatty liver. So it's fat deposition in your liver.

Yeah. So one of the main health harms from alcohol, especially heavy alcohol use, is liver damage. And so what we see happen is this progression where the first thing that happens is inflammation of the liver. And when your liver gets inflamed, you start getting fat deposit in the liver. So the first kind of step is what we sometimes call fatty liver. So it's fat deposition in your liver.

That actually can totally reverse if you stop drinking or you make changes. And that's the amazing thing with the liver. It's a really regenerative organ. So you could cut 80% of someone's liver out and they would be okay. But there is a point where you cross the threshold where you can no longer repair the damage. And that's when you get to a stage called cirrhosis.

That actually can totally reverse if you stop drinking or you make changes. And that's the amazing thing with the liver. It's a really regenerative organ. So you could cut 80% of someone's liver out and they would be okay. But there is a point where you cross the threshold where you can no longer repair the damage. And that's when you get to a stage called cirrhosis.

That actually can totally reverse if you stop drinking or you make changes. And that's the amazing thing with the liver. It's a really regenerative organ. So you could cut 80% of someone's liver out and they would be okay. But there is a point where you cross the threshold where you can no longer repair the damage. And that's when you get to a stage called cirrhosis.

So from fat deposition, then you start getting scarring. Your body lays down all this scar tissue because of the chronic inflammation in your liver. And when your liver becomes so scarred that it's really stiff and starts not functioning well, that's cirrhosis. And we often used to think of cirrhosis as something that happened to people like decades down the road.

So from fat deposition, then you start getting scarring. Your body lays down all this scar tissue because of the chronic inflammation in your liver. And when your liver becomes so scarred that it's really stiff and starts not functioning well, that's cirrhosis. And we often used to think of cirrhosis as something that happened to people like decades down the road.

So from fat deposition, then you start getting scarring. Your body lays down all this scar tissue because of the chronic inflammation in your liver. And when your liver becomes so scarred that it's really stiff and starts not functioning well, that's cirrhosis. And we often used to think of cirrhosis as something that happened to people like decades down the road.

I'm seeing people in their early 30s with cirrhosis in the hospital. And I think those are like some of the most heartbreaking cases because people thought like this wasn't on their bingo card. They did not even think this was a concern. You know, they were drinking heavily. They thought it was their social circle was doing the same thing.

I'm seeing people in their early 30s with cirrhosis in the hospital. And I think those are like some of the most heartbreaking cases because people thought like this wasn't on their bingo card. They did not even think this was a concern. You know, they were drinking heavily. They thought it was their social circle was doing the same thing.

I'm seeing people in their early 30s with cirrhosis in the hospital. And I think those are like some of the most heartbreaking cases because people thought like this wasn't on their bingo card. They did not even think this was a concern. You know, they were drinking heavily. They thought it was their social circle was doing the same thing.