Modes of alcohol administration appropriate for the study of the role of alcohol in carcinogenesis.

The route of alcohol administration used in the experimental study of the role of alcohol in carcinogenesis should mimic the human condition: the p.o. route should, therefore, have major attention. This route appears in concord with epidemiological evidence of alcohol involvement in cancers of the upper digestive tract. The relative advantages of schedule-induced polydipsia, an alcohol solution as the sole fluid source, and an alcohol-containing fluid diet are assessed, as well as the intake of alcohol via the respired air. These routes allow a wide range of daily alcohol doses to be ingested, the largest resulting in continuous intoxication and the development of physical dependence. The equivocal resulta from various already published typical experiments are discussed, indicating the necessity of using a variety of appropriate dosages, dosage routes, and dosage forms in appropriate controls, as well as indicating the necessity of investigating the role of concentration and kind of alcoholic beverage in a variety of strains and species in both sexes and at various ages.