Several studies have suggested rs1229984 may influence alcohol consumption behaviour [30]-[33]. We have strongly replicated this association (p = 3×10−20). Similarly, minor allele carriers of rs1573496 and rs698 also consumed different amounts of alcohol compared with non-carriers (Table 2). Comparable to the observations made between 15q25 variants, propensity to smoke and lung cancer [34]-[36], adjustment for alcohol consumption did not fully explain the UADT cancer association with these variants (Table S4) suggesting, at least within the limits of this measurement of alcohol consumption, that these risks are unlikely to be explained by alcohol consumption behaviour patterns.
