Using High-Alcohol Mouthwash for Years Seen as Oral Cancer Risk

People who use mouthwash containing more than 25% alcohol for many years may have an increased risk for developing oral cancer, government researchers reported Friday.

In the largest study of its kind, the researchers evaluated 866 oral cancer patients and found that men appeared to have a 40% increased risk and women a 60% increased risk, the researchers said.

Most of the subjects had used mouthwash at least once a day for at least 20 years. The increased risks were found among users of mouthwash high in alcohol content, the researchers said.

William Blot and his colleagues at the National Cancer Institute, who conducted the study published in the journal Cancer Research, stressed that the findings should be considered preliminary and must be followed up with additional research.

“From this study alone it’s too early to make any recommendations about changing mouthwash brands or not using mouthwash at all,” Blot said.

Jerome Wilson, director of biostatistics at the Warner-Lambert Co. in Morris Plains, N.J., which makes Listerine, challenged the study’s findings, saying the conclusions were inconsistent with the data.