I've come to the conclusion that alcohol IS a primary factor, not just contributory.
No, I'm not a 'scientist,' but given the track record of many who call themselves scientists these days, maybe my layman's opinion is just as good. I'm also not a killjoy.
However I believe consumption of alcohol, even in 'moderate' amounts, is likely responsible for at least half of the occurrences of cancer in the US. It is also likely to blame for more misery, both physical and emotional, than any other substance we consume. Opioids are becoming almost as destructive, but alcohol is still king of the death chemicals.
I agree that alcohol is very destructive. However it is not consistently destructive in the same limited number of ways, but a whole litany of acute and chronic ways. And a large number of people use it in moderate or greater amounts without it causing disease and death.
As to cancer, it is at least 100 different diseases, caused by a combination of cellular malfunction *and* the inhibition of those factors that destroy malfunctioning cells, *and* the inhibition of the recognition that cancerous cells are malfunctioning.
In many ways, cancers behave almost like intelligent things. This is why there is a “rule of three” in oncology. If you attack cancerous cells in one way, they will *adapt* to protect themselves from the attack. So optimally, you use three different techniques at the same time, to overwhelm its defenses.
Since cancer requires more nutrition than normal cells, it has to persuade the body to create more capillaries to feed the cancer. And the list goes on and on.
Naturally, the body continually makes, then destroys, malfunctioning cells. The cancer must overcome this to survive.
Cancer often has a genetic component. Carcinogenic substances as well as ionizing radiation can make cancer happen.