Table 2 The association between ALDH2 polymorphism and alcohol-related cancers
From: ALDH2 polymorphism and alcohol-related cancers in Asians: a public health perspective
Cancer type | Level of association with ALDH2 polymorphism | Summary of current literature |
|---|---|---|
Head and neck cancer | Strong | Most studies showed a synergistic interaction between ALDH2*2 allele and alcohol drinking to increase head and neck cancer risk [26–29]. |
Esophageal cancer | Strong | Overall, literature provides strong evidence to support the synergistic interaction between ALDH2*2 allele and alcohol consumption to increase the risk of esophageal cancer [31]. |
Liver cancer | Weak | Overall, studies to date have consistently shown that ALDH2*2 does not independently contribute to liver cancer risk. Whether ALDH2*2 can modify the association between alcohol consumption and liver cancer risk requires further investigation [32–41]. |
Breast cancer | Weak | Results from the only three studies published to date do not support a significant association between ALDH2*2 and breast cancer [42–44]. |
Colorectal cancer | Weak | The role of ALDH2*2 in the development of colorectal cancer is inconclusive and all of the studies conducted to date have a small sample size that resulted in insufficient statistical power and lack of precision [32, 45–47]. |