Possible mechanisms by which alcohol may influence the development of oral cancer--a review.

Although pure ethanol has never been shown to be carcinogenic in laboratory experiments, alcoholic beverages are now recognised as being important aetiological factors in the development of oral cancer. Despite this, the exact mechanism by which alcohol may exert an influence upon the oral mucosa has received less attention. An overview of the association of alcohol and oral cancer, both in combination with tobacco and without, is provided and consideration given to some of the pathways by which alcohol exerts its effect upon the oral mucosa.